Two Sides of the Same Moon
by SailorChibi
Summary: After participating in a ritual to save Inuyasha's life, newly hanyou Kagome awakens to find herself trapped on her side of the well. But the story isn't over... it's just continuing in a different way in a new time with the same players as before.
1. Saving Inuyasha

**Title:** Two Sides of the Same Moon

**Summary:** To save Inuyasha, Kagome participated in a ritual over Myoga's guidance before falling unconscious. After waking up, she realizes two things: one, she's trapped on her side of the well. Two, she's now an inu hanyou with miko powers, with a chunk of the shikon no tama. Believing that the war ended years ago, she struggles to lay the memories of her friends to rest and move on with her life as the new guardian of the jewel. But what Kagome doesn't know is that evil never dies, love can create miracles, and the game is far from over: it's about to start all over again, same players, different time.

**A/N:** I know hanyou Kagome has been done before, but this is my spin on it. I hope you enjoy!

The dark-haired woman knelt at the side of her silent companion and gently placed her hand on soft, white ears that barely twitched under her fingers. A soft, pained moan escaped into the air. Tears wellened up in her ears and ran, unchecked, down her cheeks, smudging blood and mud as she drew her hand back and clutched it to her heart. He was dying. Inuyasha, her strong, faithful protector, was dying, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. Not even the strength of his youkai blood would save him. Higurashi Kagome bent her head over his chest and wept.

It had begun with a battle against Naraku, because when did a day that had dawned bright and sunny ever go smoothly? One minute, she and her friends had been walking on a steady path, following a rumor about a shikon shard. The next, all hell had broken loose in the form of a thousand youkai and a storm that made it difficult to see. At some point, she had lost sight of Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara, and only the occasional war cry had told her that they were still alive. Her key objective had been to get to Inuyasha, and she'd finally found him... just in time to see Naraku, cruel and despicable Naraku, throwing Inuyasha against the wall and then injecting him with some kind of liquid that glowed with a mystical blue fire while the hanyou was temporarily stunned. Inuyasha had collapsed to the ground, gasping, and she'd rushed to his side.

"Inuyasha," Naraku had said, laughing. He always enjoyed seeing the full effect of his ploys on his victims. "Your dream has always been to obtain the Shikon no Tama so that you could become a full youkai. Now that dream will destroy you. That poison has leeched onto your youkai blood and will kill you slowly and painfully. It's too bad you weren't human..." A lingering pause, while a malicious smile broke free. "... As then it wouldn't affect you at all."

"Naraku!" Inuyasha's angry cry was accompanied by a swing of Tessaiga that brought the evil hanyou to his knees, which gave Inuyasha and Kagome the chance to escape. At first, Inuyasha had seemed fine, and he'd been able to carry Kagome a good mile away from Naraku. But then he had collapsed, and now his breathing was slow and haggard.

"You can't die," Kagome whispered, lifting her head. She could hear that his heartbeat was slowing, and that scared her more than anything else. "Inuyasha, please don't leave me. I need you!"

"Kagome-san!" The voice was accompanied by a stinging sensation on her cheek. Almost absently, Kagome clapped a hand to her skin and watched the flattened flea float towards the ground.

"Myoga-jiji. You found me." Lifting her hand to wipe at her tears, Kagome offered the flea youkai a shaky smile that soon turned brilliant. Of course! "Myoga-jiji, please, you have to help Inuyasha!" she cried, scooping up the flea. "Naraku injected Inuyasha with some kind of poison that affects his youkai blood. You can suck it out, can't you?"

"Hmm..." Myoga hopped from Kagome's hand onto Inuyasha's chest, where he made a quick perusal of his master. He stooped and began to sample Inuyasha's blood, but quickly pulled away sputtering. "Inuyasha-sama is too badly poisoned. His blood is turning against him, rotting him from the inside out. The only thing that would save him is the night of the new moon, when he becomes human..." The small flea looked up at the sky. "But that won't be for another two weeks, and Inuyasha-sama will be dead within a couple of hours."

"No! Inu-_yasha_!" Her voice broke as she dissolved into tears again. "No. No. This can't be happening."

Myoga gazed up at the human girl and sighed as she collapsed next to Inuyasha, crying helplessly into her hands. The sight was enough to inspire pity and compassion in even the coldest of hearts. "Kagome-san... perhaps... there is another way."

"Another way? What do you mean?" she whispered, hardly daring to hope. Myoga hesitated, and she said quickly, "Myoga-jiji, please. I'll do anything to save Inuyasha's life."

"It is very dangerous, Kagome. I daresay Inuyasha-sama would kill me if he knew I was even suggesting it to you."

"He won't be able to kill anyone if he dies," Kagome said softly, tears glistening in her brown eyes.

"There is a ritual that used to be enacted between mates who were not of equal status," Myoga began. He would not have even thought about mentioning the ritual were the circumstances not dire. But Inuyasha really would die unless something was done, and he could not bear to see his young master die in this way. Not only would it be an insult to the great Inu no Taisho, but Inuyasha deserved far better than to be taken down in such an underhanded manner by someone like Naraku. "Mostly between humans and youkai, so that the human's life would be extended. It involves an exchange of blood. The poison is only attacking Inuyasha-sama's youkai blood, so if he were to have mostly human blood..."

Kagome's eyes widened. "It would give him a fighting chance," she finished, looking down at Inuyasha's silent form. She reached down and took one of his hands into her own, wincing when she realized how cold his skin was growing. He was going into shock, and that alone could kill him if they didn't hurry. "Wait. Would Inuyasha still be a hanyou?"

"Yes. It would only take a day or so for his youkai blood to build back up. In the meantime, the human blood would filter out the remainder of the poison. Inuyasha-sama would be back to normal within a few days. The real danger is to you, Kagome-san."

"Me?"

"It's an_ exchange_ of blood," Myoga reminded her. "Meaning that Inuyasha-sama's poisoned blood would enter your body. I can't tell you what this would do to you, Kagome-san. Your miko powers could purify you, the blood could change you, or you may simply die. The ritual has never been done with a miko, nor has it been done with poisoned blood. Therefore the outcome is impossible to say. That is why I wasn't sure if I should tell you." He didn't say it, but Myoga knew that Inuyasha really would kill him if something happened to Kagome, especially if it occurred while she was trying to save Inuyasha's life. "This is not something to undertake lightly."

"But Inuyasha would survive? That's all that matters. Tell me how to do the ritual," she ordered, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. "I don't care what happens to me."

As it turned out, the ritual was fairly simple. It required the gathering of certain herbs, some of which Kagome recognized from her teachings with Kaede. Others she had never seen before. Myoga directed her to take a clean container and half fill it with water from the stream, then set it to boiling. She added the herbs one at a time under his watch, stirred the mess exactly five times, and then left it to simmer. While that was happening, she washed and sterilized Inuyasha's hands, as well as the sharpest blade in her backpack. Handling the knife made her stomach churn with nerves, but she refused to be cowed and carefully placed the blade on a bit of cloth next to Inuyasha's body. If it was to save his life, no sacrifice was too small.

"The tea is almost done," Myoga said, sniffing the air. "A few minutes more."

Nodding, she knelt next to Inuyasha and took his right hand, at a loss for what else she should do. His rasping breathing was concerning, even though she was doing her best to keep calm. '_Please Kami-sama_,' she thought, holding his hand against her cheek. '_Please bring Inuyasha back to me. I_ need_ him_.' She closed her eyes against more tears and took several deep breaths, wishing that she would have had the chance to see all of her friends and family one more time. But that was the problem... there was no more time.

"It's ready, Kagome-san."

"Okay." Kagome poured the tea into two cups and drank hers down before she had the chance to loose her confidence. The taste wasn't unpleasant. It was almost sweet, with a faint lemon aftertaste. She knelt next to Inuyasha and held his cup to his lips. After the first little bit had trickled into his mouth, he coughed and sputtered, coming awake a jolt.

"Ka-Kagome?" he gasped. "Where... what?"

"Inuyasha, it's okay. I'm right here," she said, scooting around to face him. "Here, open your mouth and drink this. It will make you feel better."

He was still half asleep, but awake enough to follow her orders. His lips parted and he obediently drank the tea. "Kagome, my head hurts," he mumbled once it was gone.

'_He must be dying if he admitted to a little pain_,' she thought wryly. Seconds later, the impact of what had just gone through her mind hit. Kagome swallowed hard, unable to keep a tear from flowing down her cheek. "Go back to sleep, Inuyasha. You'll feel better soon."

"Mmm." His golden eyes fluttered shut. "I smell... darkness..."

"Darkness? Inuyasha?" She shook him gently, but he didn't respond. Kagome frowned pensively as Myoga hopped onto her shoulder.

"It must be done now, Kagome-san. I can feel Inuyasha-sama slipping away."

"What do I do?" Gently, she set Inuyasha back down and picked up the knife.

"You must slash the palm of both of your hands and then press them together. Whatever you do, do not let go, understand?"

"Yes." Kagome washed and sterilized her hands, then gulped and pressed the blade against Inuyasha's right hand. Only the knowledge that he wouldn't feel the pain enabled her to put pressure against the knife. His skin split like butter and she choked back a gasp as blood began to trickle down his wrist, quickly dropping his right hand for his left and repeating the procedure. Inuyasha barely twitched at the pain, but she was well aware that it wouldn't be long until his hanyou healing ability kicked in. Heart pounding, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and slashed the knife across her left hand. Ignoring the pain, she grasped the knife handle with her bloody hand and did the same to her right hand. Then she threw the knife down and grabbed Inuyasha's hands, lacing their fingers together.

At first, it didn't really hurt, but then it grew more intense. There was a sensation like cold water running down her left arm, while hot fired burned up her right arm. She cried out in pain and forced herself to hold onto Inuyasha even tighter, knowing that if she released him, it would probably mean both their deaths. Inuyasha groaned faintly and his body pulsed the way it did on human nights, though his hanyou characteristics remained. Tessaiga trembled at his hip, and the shikon shards around her neck flashed with a dull pink light. Kagome heard herself moan out loud as the fire began to spread through her body, starting in her chest and slowly making its way down to her hips and thighs, even down to her toes. Her body grew weak and she lost the ability to hold herself in a sitting position, instead sprawling across Inuyasha's body, though she still refused to let go.

Myoga hopped around her, shouting something about Naraku, but Kagome was too far gone to care. Vaguely, she was aware of the flea sucking on one of her hands to get her attention and telling her to let go. It took a few minutes for the words to get through her sluggish brain. Let go. Right, she knew what that meant. Kagome forced her fingers to unclamp from Inuyasha's and drew them away. The simple acting of moving made her heart skip a few beats and she gasped, rolling over to kneel on her hands and knees like a dog as her body roughly expelled everything she'd eaten during the past day. Her throat ached with thirst when she was done. Water. She needed water.

The stream wasn't too far away, but it seemed to take ages to get there, when standing took far too much effort. Kagome dragged herself to the edge and hung her head over, gulping weakly at the icy liquid. More water splashed her face than went in her mouth, but even that felt good. Pulling back, she gasped for air even though she was laying on the ground. Myoga leapt onto her chest and yelled something about Inuyasha, but she couldn't process what he was trying to tell her, and the darkness was growing at the edges of her vision. She tried to smile comfortingly at the flea as her head fell to the ground, but she wasn't even sure she had done that much before she passed out.


	2. Consequences & Confessions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha, but any characters you do not recognize belong to me.  
**A/N:** You'll note the aim of the story has changed a bit, including the summary. I'm taking it in a new direction, but the first chapter has remained the same. Thank you for the reviews/favourites from the last chapter.

* * *

Loud, unfamiliar voices woke Kagome from her sleep, drawing her from her deep slumber and forcing her to become aware of the ache that lingered in every muscle of her body. She groaned softly, trying not to aggravate her headache, and lifted her head slowly, squinting at the wall of the room she was in. Where was she? It was an awfully small space... Her questing hand met rough wood and dirt and she blinked, suddenly realizing that she was in the bottom of the Bone Eaters' Well. Instinctively, she glanced up and saw the roof of the well house, which existed only in the present time. What was she doing here? The last thing she remembered was passing out beside that stream after trying to save Inuyasha's life. Oh, god. Her mind cleared. Inuyasha!

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out immediately, dusting her hands off. "Inuyasha? Are you there?"

She half expected the silvery hair of the hanyou to appear over the well's edge, but no one answered her call, and Inuyasha did not come. Trying to ignore the chill of worry that crept up her spine, Kagome stood up and leaned against the wall of the well until her dizziness had subsided enough for her to climb the ladder. The trip was easier than she recalled, and she reached the top in no time. Her head rose over the side and she looked around, hoping she would see him leaning against the wall. No such luck.

"What is going on?" she muttered, hopping out of the well and walking up the stairs. The door slid open a crack, and through it, she saw that some visitors to the shrine had been the ones to wake her up. The children were calling out in happy voices as they tied their wishes to a small tree. Kagome smiled absently and closed the door, not wanting to be seen just yet. She had to get back to Sengoku Jidai and find out what was happening with Inuyasha and her friends.

She went back down the stairs and placed her hands on the rim of the well. In a well practiced move, she swung her legs over the side. The release of her grip sent her into a free fall that normally ended when the world turned into a misty greyish blue as she was transported through time. Unfortunately, this time the fall ended with her landing on her feet at the bottom as easily as though she'd only jumped a couple of feet. It didn't even hurt. She looked down at the dirt blankly, then up at the ceiling of the well house... still in the present time.

"What the hell?" Quickly, she scaled the ladder and jumped in a second time. Then a third time and a fourth. Every single time, the well refused to open. Kagome slipped to her knees in the dirt, shaken by the realization that was coming over her. Even though she wore a chunk of the shikon no tama around her neck, she was trapped here in the present time. The well wouldn't work anymore.

"No... oh no. No! This can't be happening. Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Frantically, she grabbed at the shard around her neck, holding it up into the air. In the dim light, the shard glittered with a dull pink shine. "Why aren't you working? Let me through to him. I want to see Inuyasha!"

There was no answer. Tears of frustration and fear stung Kagome's eyes, and she climbed up the ladder for a fifth time, leaning against the edge of the well once she reached the surface. Her fingers remained clamped tightly around the shards as she tried to think the matter through. Only once had the well ever refused to open for her, and that had been when Inuyasha stole the shards and sealed it off – and when she found the shards in the bottom of the well, it had opened immediately. So why wasn't it working this time? What had _happened _while she was unconscious?

"What do I do now?" Kagome whispered, releasing the shard that she had been clinging to. Her hand throbbed with the motion and she glanced down, surprised, to see blood trickling through her fingers. She'd been holding the shard so tightly that a sharp edge had sliced her skin. "Could this day get any worse?"

She didn't like leaving the well, but having the scent of blood around the portal was a really bad idea. Kagome listened at the door to make sure that the visitors were gone before she slid the door open fully. Different smells struck her full on the in the face and she gagged, clapping her un-bloody hand to her nose. Inuyasha had once told her that the future smelled horrible, but it had never bothered her before – after all, she'd grown up here. Now, the smells were so strong that tears came to her eyes.

"What is going on?" she hissed, annoyed. Plugging her nose with her fingers, she walked across the yard to the house. "Mama? Souta? Hello?" She entered the kitchen and spotted a note on the table. Kagome read it silently and then smiled to herself as she set the small piece of paper back down on the table. Even though her mother hadn't expected her back for some time, she had still left a note, just in case. "Mama is so good to me. I guess it's a good thing that they're not here, because I need some time to myself."

It didn't take Kagome long to locate the First-Aid kit. She set it on the counter, then turned the faucet on and stuck her hand underneath to wash away the blood. With her free hand, she groped through the kit until she found a band-aid and unwrapped it. When she held her hand up to put it on, Kagome stopped, noticing something strange. Where exactly was the wound on the palm of her hand? She flipped on the light and examined her hand closely for any sign of the small cut, but there was nothing at all. Even the cuts from the night before, when she had slashed her palms, were gone. Her skin was unblemished and perfectly smooth, and all of the pain had vanished, even when she clenched her hand in a fist. It was like she had never even been hurt in the first place.

"What the... how is this even possible? Am I trapped in a dream or something like that?" Bewildered, she looked around the room, remembering the last time she'd been trapped in one of Naraku's dreams. But everything appeared to be as it always was, and she still had all of her memories this time. But what else could explain the fact that the cut on her hand had healed so fast? Maybe... "Is this a side effect from the ritual?" she wondered, moving to unconsciously run a hand through her hand. That's when she felt _it_.

"Oh my god..." Kagome whispered, inhaling sharply when her fingers came into contact with what was undeniably a fuzzy puppy ear that twitched... and she could actually_ feel_ the twitching. She ran for the bathroom and the closest mirror. What she saw was not what she wanted to see.

When she'd fallen unconscious at the stream, her appearance had been human, just like it had been for the past seventeen years. Somehow, during the time she had been asleep, things had changed. The girl staring back at her looked a little older thanks to paler skin, higher cheekbones, and fuller lips. Her uniform fit too tightly around her shoulders, hips, and bust, but was too loose around her waist. There was an obvious absence of human ears, replaced by two fuzzy black triangles on top of her head. The right puppy ear had a dot of silver on the tip. Her eyes were still a warm shade of brown, except now heavily flecked with gold. Her hair was still mostly black, with the occasional shining thread of silver, noticeable only when the light caught her just so. It was longer, too, falling down to just above her waist, and her teeth were sharper, longer, like fangs.

Kagome blinked blankly at her reflection, wondering if she was hallucinating. Surely, she couldn't be seeing what she_ thought_ she was seeing? Slowly, she looked down at her hands, realizing that her once short, blunt nails were now razor sharp claws that tapered off into points. She slipped her shoes off so that she could examine her toes, then her legs and her stomach, and when that wasn't enough, she stripped her clothing off and stood in front of the mirror completely naked. Her body otherwise looked largely the same, except she was possibly an inch or two higher than before.

"I'm a hanyou," Kagome said out loud, tasting the words. Her right ear twitched and swivelled, which was an incredibly weird sensation. No wonder the smells had been so overwhelming when she'd come out of the well! She sat down on the toilet and put her head in her hands. This had to be a side effect from saving Inuyasha's life. Myoga had warned her that taking youkai blood into her body might have unforeseen consequences, but Kagome had never imagined _this_.

A thought struck her and she rocked back, feeling sick. Was this why the well wouldn't work? Maybe it didn't recognize her anymore. But then that meant... Kagome shook her head violently and stood up. No, it couldn't be true. The well had to let her through. She had so many things left to do in Sengoku Jidai! The shikon no tama wasn't completed and Naraku was still alive. Her friends were still in danger; Sango hadn't avenged her family and Miroku still suffered from the Kazaana. And Inuyasha...

A sob caught in her throat when she thought of never seeing Inuyasha again. In all the months she had traveled with him, she had never considered what might happen if the well closed, trapping her on this side. Never seeing him again? That thought was too much to bear. Kagome quickly pulled her clothing back on and washed her face and hands, then went into her bedroom. She sat down on her bed and lifted the shard from around her neck. In the brighter light of her room, it shone with a beautiful pink light. A tear slipped down her cheek and struck the shard.

"Inuyasha..." she whispered, pressing the shard to her chest. Her shoulders began to shake. "I don't even know if you survived the ritual. Maybe you're d-dead right now."

That was enough. Kagome buried her head in her pillow and started to cry. It wasn't fair. How could this ability be taken from her just as fast as it had been given? What would happen now that the shikon no tama couldn't be completed? Would Inuyasha go to hell with Kikyou? Those questions and more swirled around in her mind with no answer until she grew still, too exhausted to cry anymore. She stared silently at the far wall of her room, half hoping that she would see a shadow outside of her window, and then a clawed hand reaching out to open the pane.

Her ears twitched. Voices, far away and much too faint for a human to hear, reached her, and she recognized her mother and Souta. Kagome sat up and wiped her cheeks free of tears, suddenly realizing that she had a much bigger problem to deal with. What would her mother say when she saw that her daughter was now a hanyou? Higurashi Kimiko had been patient and understanding about the trips to the past, but this was something different entirely. Regardless of whether or not she returned to Sengoku Jidai, this was a problem that was not going to just go away. No wonder Myoga had cautioned her so sternly before the ritual had begun. The flea had probably never expected _this_, but he had been worried – and rightfully so.

The voices were getting closer, and she could hear the soft clicking of her mother's heels on the stone outside. Jolted to attention, she stood up and re-tied the shard of the shikon no tama around her neck before she went over to her dresser. Inside the bottom drawer on the right side, she found a pink bandanna that Yuka had given her once. She'd never worn it before, but it was the only thing that she could think of to hide her ears, and it would be better to face her mother with some kind of plan. Kagome smoothed the bandanna down and took a deep breath, hoping that her mother didn't freak out_ too_ much. It was tempting to try and keep it a secret, but that would be nearly impossible... especially if she was really stuck here.

"Mama, I'm hungry!" Souta's voice said.

"Alright, I'll make you a snack," her mother answered, opening the door downstairs. It was amazing to Kagome, who could hear them as perfectly as though she was standing in the room with them. Was this how Inuyasha always felt? Her ears brought every little sound to her, whether it was the wind blowing outdoors, Buyo rolling over, or the schoolchildren walking by out front. She felt like she had been deaf and was only now experiencing how it felt to hear for the first time.

"Mama, I'm hungry, too," she called out.

"Kagome! I didn't realize you were home." Kimiko sounded pleased. "Come downstairs and I'll make you something special. Is Inuyasha with you? Shall we make some ramen?"

Kagome's heart twisted, and she closed her eyes briefly. "No, Mama, he's not with me," she replied, summoning every last bit of courage to round the corner and walk down the stairs. Kimiko was standing at the kitchen counter, unloading the groceries that Souta had helped to carry in, completely oblivious to the torment that her daughter was going through only a few feet away. "Mama, I... I need to tell you something."

"What's wrong, Ka..." Her voice died as she turned and caught sight of Kagome. Brown eyes widened, and she stuttered, "Ka-Kagome? Is... is that... you?"

"It's me," Kagome said miserably. She had no idea of the picture she made, standing there with her hands fisted in her skirt, puppy ears flattened against her head, and a frightened expression on her face. "I... Something happened on my last trip."

"I can see that," Kimiko said, resisting the urge to run over and play with those adorable little ears. "Sit down at the table. I want to hear the full story once your snack is ready."

Silently, Kagome knelt at her spot and placed her bandanna in front of her. Kimiko set two bowls of ramen down, then went out to give a third bowl to Souta, who had developed a fondness for the noodles after he saw how obsessed Inuyasha was. Kagome stared down at the steaming bowl and felt new tears rise to her eyes. The smell of ramen was far more potent now, but even though she was hungry, the smell failed to arouse her. Instead, she just felt sick, and longed for Inuyasha more than ever. Shakily, she reached out and pushed the bowl of ramen away from her.

"I thought you said you were hungry?" Kimiko asked, kneeling down across from her.

"I changed my mind. Let Souta have it," Kagome answered quietly, keeping her eyes on the table as her mother began to eat her ramen. Just being near it was like torture.

"So what happened?" Kimiko prompted when it became clear that her daughter was not going to start on her own.

"We were fighting, just like always," said the girl. She had never explicitly explained what happened during their battles, knowing that the true details of the danger she faced would tip her mother over the edge. Her own role was always downgraded, particularly any injuries she might have received, and she played Inuyasha up as much as possible. At least this time, she could be relatively honest, because the battle had ended before she'd had the opportunity to do anything. "Naraku attacked us unexpectedly. I stood back while Inuyasha went to fight him. He was doing well until Naraku injected him with some kind of poison that only affects youkai." Her claws dug into her thighs as she clenched her fists. Damn Naraku! "We ran after that, but it was too late. Inuyasha was dying."

Kimiko had a look on her face that said she knew what was coming. All the same, she wanted Kagome to tell her, so she merely said, "That must have been difficult to deal with."

"It was." Kagome bit her lip hard against the urge to cry again. "Mama, I... I would have done anything to save his life. You know I... I love Inuyasha."

"I know," her mother said. The simple affirmation seemed to give Kagome the ability to continue.

"There is a flea youkai," began Kagome, somewhat unsteadily. "He has served Inuyasha for years. I think I've told you about him before. His name is Myoga. Somehow... I'm not sure how... he tracked us down after the battle. I thought he could save Inuyasha, but the poison was too widespread and had affected too much of his blood. But Myoga told me that there was a ritual," she spoke the words carefully, "that I could perform which would save Inuyasha's life. It involved giving him some of my blood and taking some of his. So I did it. And this morning I woke up on this side of the well, like this, and I can't get back through." Her last bout of words came out in such a rush that for a moment, Kimiko just stared at her with confusion.

"You mean... you're stuck here? The well won't let you through anymore? You're certain?"

Kagome's head rose and she looked at her mother for a long time with an odd expression on her face. "You sound... happy about that."

"Well..." Kimiko rose and bustled over to the sink, where she placed her empty bowl down. "Kagome, I allowed you those trips through the well because it was something you needed to do. I've never been very happy about it, because I couldn't help but think that every time you went, you might not come back. I never said anything because I knew that you felt a sense of duty to your friends. But now... the well has made the decision for you, and I'm relieved."

"You..." Anger, hot and sharp, welled up inside of her. Kagome suddenly understood why Inuyasha lost his temper so blindly. The urge to strike out was almost overwhelming. "This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me!"

"I know," she sighed and walked back to her daughter, where she lightly stroked one of Kagome's ears. It twitched under her touch. "I agree. But you made the choice to save Inuyasha, so now you have to live with the consequences. Somehow, we'll have to hide your ears."

Common sense urged Kagome to her feet before she completely lost it, and she sidled away from Kimiko's grip, putting the table between them. Her mother looked surprised by the move, but Kagome was furious and hurt all at the same time and no longer wanted that once comforting touch. She'd always known her mother disliked her trips, but to hear such things now, when the thought of being trapped here was devastating to contemplate... and knowing that Kimiko had completely misunderstood her comment was just the icing on top of the cake.

"I'm going upstairs," she said stiffly. "I won't be down for supper. I'm not hungry."

"Kagome? What's wrong?"

Kagome gave no answer, knowing that the only one she could give would drive an even bigger rift between her and her mother. Instead, she went back upstairs and into her room, where she closed the door firmly behind her. If she could have, she would have locked it just to be able to keep the rest of the world out. She was back in the present, the time she technically belonged to, but never before had she felt so completely alone.

**IKIKIK**

The white-haired boy lingered outside of the shrine, not close enough to hear the conversations within, but not so far away that he wouldn't hear if someone within was in danger. He was mostly hidden by few trees that still bordered the fair grounds; the concealment spells on his necklace would have made it nearly impossible for a human to have noticed him, so he did little to pretend he wasn't spying. On his leg, he balanced a math book liberally covered with scribbles. His right hand held a pencil, his left a can of cola. A bag of chips was on the ground next to him. He was here for the long haul.

Glancing up as the door slammed, the boy watched with some curiosity and growing tension as the Higurashi mother crossed the walkway to the well. She opened the sliding door and stared inside for several minutes without moving. Just when he thought she might go inside, the old man returned, trudging up the stairs with loud complaints of an aching back. The woman's face grew pinched and she forcibly closed the door before she went to greet him.

"Interesting," the boy muttered. Scooping up a pad of paper, he flipped to a clean page, took a quick drink of cola, and jotted down the event. Above the mother and grandfather, a light was on in the girl's room, and a shadow of medium height crossed by her window. Since the little boy was too short, it meant that she had returned home. He noted that as well, knowing that his family had the most interest in her. Then he set his pad back down on the ground, snagged a chip, and settled back to read up on physics until his little sister came to relieve him of duty.

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	3. In Love With Someone Else

**Chapter 3:** In Love With Someone Else

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Never before had Kagome been as nervous about entering her school as she was that morning. Barely a week had passed since she had first discovered that the well would no longer allow her to pass through, and she'd spent the first three days in the well house, relentlessly climbing up the ladder and jumping back down until even her hanyou body was exhausted. She would be there still if it weren't for the fact that her mother had finally put her foot down and threatened to have sutras put on the well house. In her eyes, Kagome's trips to the past were over and done with, which meant that it was time for Kagome to move on with her future. To say that Kagome didn't agree was a vast understatement; she'd bitten her tongue _a lot_ during the past week.

A strong wind blew, ruffling her skirt and teasing the edges of her hair, which had been strategically and carefully styled beneath a vivid green bandanna that morning. Her grandfather had pulled in a favor with a friend of his who had a son as a doctor, which gave Kagome a medical note stating that she was undergoing treatments which were dangerous to her hair, and that the bandanna was for some form of modesty. The bandanna both hid her puppy ears and ensured that her hair hid the fact that she was missing human ears.

"Nee-san, are you going?" Souta asked, interrupting her thoughts. He fidgeted and sighed, nibbling at a piece of pocky candy. "I'm going to be late."

"If I don't go, you're going to tell Mama, aren't you?"

"I won't. But the school will call eventually."

The kid had a point, and that would only end up causing another fight. Things were strained enough. Kagome sighed and shifted the weight of her backpack. They'd undertaken every possible protection to keep her from being outed as a hanyou. Her claws had been painted a pale shade of pink to help make them look more like long nails, her mother had adjusted the fit of her uniform, and over the weekend the two of them had purchased a lightly scented perfume that Kagome could stand, to help her disguise her scent from anyone who might notice that it was different. As long as she remembered not to show off her fangs when she laughed or talked, she had absolutely no reason to be as nervous as she was.

After all, she was convinced that there had to be other hanyou or youkai out there. There was just no way that all of them had died at some point in the last five hundred years; she refused to believe that. Just because she and Inuyasha had never encountered them in the present, didn't mean that they weren't out there. And if they could survive, then Kagome could, too. Even if she _was _completely alone. Kagome sighed again.

"Alright, Souta. I'll see you tonight."

"Bye, Nee-san." His job of escorting Kagome to the doorstep of her school complete, Souta took off down the street. Kagome watched him go with a sad smile. He had been a wonderful source of support to her, caught as he was between she and her mother. Souta alone seemed to have some idea of the depths of her pain. But he was still only a child, and she didn't want to come to depend on him too much. It wasn't fair to him.

"Kagome-chan!"

"Kagome-chan! You're here!"

"You made it!"

Three bodies surrounded her. Kagome fought the urge to flinch. "Hey you guys," she said, casually easing her way out of the middle of the group.

"What's up with the bandanna?" Yuka asked, raising an eyebrow. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"Doctor's note."

"Wow, you're so lucky!"

"Yuka-chan!" Ayumi hissed.

"I didn't mean it like that," protested Yuka, innocence written across her face. "I just meant Kagome-chan is lucky to be able to get a doctor's note. Are you sick _again_, Kagome-chan?"

"Yeah, kind of." Kagome started walking towards the school, realizing that she was actually grateful for the bandanna that covered her ears. It gave her a little protection from the shrillness of her friend's voices, and the piercing school bell that wouldn't stop ringing. She entered the school and looked around doubtfully. Her hanyou senses were nearly overwhelmed by scents and sounds that had never bothered her as a human. "It's the treatments I'm taking. They're bad for your hair."

"Poor Kagome-chan," Eri said sympathetically.

"You know... you do look kind of different," said Yuka, darting around in front of her so that Kagome had to stop walking. "Your eyes are kind of pale... and your hair... are you going _gray_?" Her voice was filled with horror.

"Yes, I'm going gray," Kagome said, smiling just a little. Yuka made it sound like that was the worst thing in the world, but at least her friend had provided her with a solid explanation for why her hair and eyes looked different. Hopefully her gossipy friends would spread the information around school. She darted around Yuka and kept going, but there was a softer tone to her voice when she added, "I told you. It's the treatments I'm taking."

"Good, how horrible," Ayumi whispered, patting her on the shoulder as the four of them walked down the hall and entered their classroom. "You have the worst luck."

"That's not how_ I_ see it. Look! It's Hojo-kun!" Yuka squealed, setting her backpack down on her desk. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, looking starry eyed. "He's heard you're back already!"

"Shit," Kagome muttered, spotting the brown-haired boy immediately. His eyes lit up when he caught sight of her, and he began making his way through the classroom towards her. He was holding a package in his hands. Several of the girls in the room turned to watch his progress with wistful looks, and Kagome tried hard not to scowl. Why couldn't he be attracted to one of them instead?

"Higurashi! There you are. Your grandfather told me you were returning today. Here, this is for you." Hojo presented her with the box. "It's a herbal supplement for your hair," he explained. "I heard how you need to keep it covered."

Kagome made a mental note to kill her grandfather with her bare claws and opened the box. The strong, chemical smell that rose from the container made her gag, and her hand flew to her nose to plug it as she shoved the box into Ayumi's hands. "Thank you, Hojo-kun," she said in a nasal, muffled tone of voice. "That's very kind of you."

Hojo blushed a little and looked pleased. "Ah, Higurashi, I was wondering if you... would like to go to the movies with me this weekend."

Startled by the request, Kagome just stared at him, uncertain of how to respond. Technically, she could go. The chances of the well opening up was slim to none, which meant that there wouldn't be an inu hanyou showing up to interrupt her date. Furthermore, she was no longer bound by her choice to stay by Inuyasha's side. There was really no reason for her to say no, and in fact, the prospect of a date with a normal human, especially a popular boy like Hojo, would likely delight her mother to no end. Really, there was just one problem... she didn't _want_ to go out with Hojo. She wanted Inuyasha, and even if she couldn't have him, maybe never again if the well didn't cooperate, that was one thing that would never change.

The door opened again and their teacher stepped into the room, causing the other students to quiet. He was a relatively new teacher; a tall, handsome man with tanned skin and dark hair and eyes, popular with boys and girls alike, who was known for being kind but firm. His curious expression pinned Kagome and Hojo as he placed his briefcase on his desk, and Kagome knew that he was three seconds away from asking Hojo why he was in the classroom. She turned to Hojo, who didn't look like he was going to leave without an answer, and spoke more firmly to him than she ever had before.

"I'm sorry, Hojo-kun, but I can't go out with you."

"Maybe another time?" he asked, still smiling pleasantly. "How about the weekend after?"

"No," Kagome said quietly, wishing that this wasn't happening in front of her classroom. Why did Hojo always have to ask her out in front of other people? "I can't go out with you ever."

"Oh." His happy smile vanished, replaced by confusion. "I thought..."

"I know. I'm sorry. But... I'm in love with someone else." She had never imagined that saying those words out loud could hurt so much. Kagome pressed the tips of her fingers to her mouth and swallowed several times in an effort to hold back tears. All those times Inuyasha had been so jealous... why hadn't she taken the time to set Hojo straight back then, when it really mattered? "So... I wish that you wouldn't ask me out anymore."

"I see. Thank you for your honesty," Hojo said. He wavered, as though he wanted to do something else, but she fixed him with a cold stare and finally he retreated. As the door closed behind him, whispers broke out all over the room.

"You're crazy!" Yuka hissed behind her. "Kagome-chan, how could you turn down Hojo-kun for that violent boyfriend of yours? He's one of the best guys in this school!"

"Wow, Kagome-chan, you're so sweet," Eri said at the same time, sounding kind of envious. "You felt so bad for breaking his heart that you're crying?"

"Kagome-chan... are you okay?" Ayumi asked softly, her dark eyes filled with concern.

Damn it all, she _was_ crying, in spite of her best efforts to keep the tears at bay. Kagome ignored all three of them in favor of stepping over to her desk and sitting down. After a beat of silence, their teacher swiftly called the rest of their class to order, but it did little to stop the curious gazes that were still being directed at Kagome. Not that she cared. At that moment, the world could have fallen apart, and Kagome would have happily drowned in her grief and the looming hatred of a hanyou by the name of Naraku. Her hand closed convulsively around the shard of the shikon no tama while she struggled to contain herself.

The morning passed by quickly, probably because she didn't hear a single word that was spoken and her gaze never wandered in the direction of the blackboard once. Yuka and Eri tried to get her attention a few times, but even with her superior hearing, Kagome didn't hear them. She was looking out the window, searching aimlessly for that flash of red that she used to hate seeing when she was in school. What would she have given to see Inuyasha outside her window? The thought was almost frightening.

When their teacher finally called for a short break, Yuka, Ayumi and Eri scooched their chairs up to Kagome's desk immediately, obviously planning to discuss Hojo's rejection. Kagome ignored them all and stood up, walking out of the room without her things. Yuka called her name, sounding bewildered and a little angry, but Kagome didn't answer. She felt like a zombie. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Higurashi? Where are you going?" The voice of her teacher came from behind her, and a hand fell on her shoulder. "Higurashi? Are you not feeling well?"

Kagome turned around slowly and looked at him blankly. If she had explained just how not well she was feeling, it probably would have terrified the man out of his wits. The knowledge of everything and everyone she had loved and lost was suffocating. Visions of her family – Inuyasha, Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Shippou-chan, Kirara, Grandmother Kaede – and her friends – Myoga, Kouga-kun, Ayame-chan, Rin-chan, even Sesshoumaru-sama and Kikyou – swam before her eyes. She couldn't even breathe. It just hurt too much, and her heart and will to live were slowly being crushed.

"I have to go," she rasped, struggling for air. "I... have... to..."

"Kagome, wait!"

"I can't. I'm sorry," Kagome whispered, heedless of the fact that her teacher had just called her by her first name. She yanked free of his grip and ran, putting her hanyou speed to the test. He called after her, his voice filled with urgency, but Kagome tore down the staircase and lunged for the doors to the exit of the school. Immediately, she turned in the direction of the shrine, leaving the school and her present life as far behind as she could.

**IKIKIKIK**

Inside the school, the teacher known as Kobayashi Katsuo swore softly under his breath as he watched Kagome flee the schoolyards through an open window. He regretted allowing his young student to leave, and he knew he should have done more to stop her. Her state of depression had been obvious all morning, but he had seriously underestimated just how badly she was feeling. This was much more than just a reaction to rejecting that boy. The depths of despair in her golden brown eyes had floored him. Higurashi Kagome was only days, possibly hours, away from falling apart completely.

"I won't let that happen," he whispered to himself. Ignoring the students that milled in the halls, he set off for the office that he shared with his wife, who worked as the guidance counsellor. She glanced up, looking surprised, as he barged into the room and slammed the door. A quick sniff told him that they were alone, allowing him to tear the concealment charm from his neck.

"Kouga, what are you doing?" she asked in amazement. "You know that the principal usually doesn't bother to knock."

"I'm going to kill that fucking hanyou," Kouga snarled, his deep blue eyes flashing with rage. He ignored her question, instead pacing back and forth in front of her desk. "I just saw Kagome, Ayame. She thinks he's dead and it's killing her."

Unidentifiable emotions flooded Ayame's face, and she sighed, setting her pencil down. She looked tired. "You know why he didn't want to approach her. Inuyasha wants to keep Kagome out of the war."

"Out of the war? She_ is_ the fucking war!" he practically shouted. "I want to protect her, too, but letting her think that her whole family is dead is not the way to go about doing it."

Ayame frowned slightly. She liked Kagome, and the passing centuries had allowed her to develop a certain fondness for the miko that she had never been able to maintain in her youth. But even now, watching her mate rage around, she felt a flicker of jealousy. In spite of everything that the two of them had together, Kouga had never seemed to be able to quite forget his feelings for the girl. He'd readily taken the teaching job at her school to watch over her, and she hadn't seen him this angry for years. It was an effort to make herself think objectively about the situation.

"Kagome-chan belongs to Inuyasha," she said carefully. "I know you don't like him, but maybe you should try to respect his wishes. You don't know, there might be something going on that you're not aware of. We couldn't pinpoint the exact date that the well closed. Maybe she... just had a fight with him. Kami-sama knows the two of them used to argue like crazy."

Kouga dropped into the chair in front of her desk and sighed. "You didn't see her, Ayame," he said quietly. "It would be like if you thought I was dead."

The mere thought made her chest tighten. Ayame sat back in her chair and removed her own concealment charm, allowing her dark hair and eyes to brighten into fiery red and green. She was comforted by the way that Kouga's eyes lit upon seeing her true self. "Even if you're right, what can we do about it? You'll never get Inuyasha to reconsider. He's the most stubborn inu hanyou I've ever met, especially when it comes to Kagome-chan, and he really thinks that he's doing the right thing."

"Moron," Kouga muttered. "I should kick his ass and drag him down to see her for just two minutes."

"Kouga," Ayame admonished, rolling her eyes fondly. "Violence won't solve this."

"I don't know what to do," the wolf youkai admitted. "I just can't leave Kagome to suffer like this. It's not right. We owe her more than that." He looked up, his blue eyes glittering. "And besides, I'm not sure that we can win this war if she's not around to participate. Maybe that's why we've been at a fucking stalemate for the past five hundred years."

The idea had merit, she had to admit. Everyone knew that Inuyasha never fought better than when Kagome was present. "You're suggesting we just tell her so that Inuyasha can't do anything about it?

"It had occurred to me."

"He'll be furious. You did give your word when you took the job here that you wouldn't give yourself or any of us away to her," she pointed out.

Kouga smirked. "Yeah, but _you_ didn't."

Ayame groaned. "I _knew_ that was coming," she complained with fond exasperation. "Give me a day or two to think it over, okay? I don't want to do anything too rash. It's bad enough Naraku stalks us at every opportunity. I hardly think having a second hanyou breathing down our necks is really the way to go."

"Don't leave it too long," Kouga advised, looking unusually serious. "I'm... really worried about her, Ayame."

"I won't," she said softly. "But please consider that Kagome-chan is stronger than you give her credit for, Kouga. She might think she's lost Inuyasha, but this_ is_ her time, where she has always belonged, and as far as I know her human family is perfectly healthy still. Her grades aren't that great, but she could be in a position far worse, and her schoolyard friends still enjoy her company. Not everything is that bad. Maybe after a little while, she'll get over him and move on."

"Maybe," he said doubtfully. "I don't think so. You have to see her. There's... something different about her."

"If she doesn't come to school tomorrow, I'll visit her at the shrine after we're done if you'll distract Inuyasha," Ayame said agreeably. She couldn't help thinking how ironic it was that she, the least closest to Kagome out of them all, would be the one making that kind of decision. "If she is really as lost as you believe she is, I'll think about telling her the truth... okay? I just don't want to drag her into this unnecessarily."

"Okay. I guess I should get back to my class, huh?" He stood up and stretched, rolling kinks out of his back. "Mark Kagome as having gone home sick, would you?"

For the first time during the conversation, Ayame felt a bit of a chill. "She went home?"

"Tore out of here like Naraku himself was standing behind her," Kouga sighed. "I don't think I've ever seen Kagome move that fast. This morning, that boy Hojo asked her out on a date, and she told him that she couldn't accept because she was in love with someone else." A troubled look passed over his features. "She practically burst into tears when she said, and then she didn't pay attention to a word I said all morning. Just stared out the window and held onto the shard around her neck."

"And she's still wearing a part of the shard?" Ayame looked shocked and worried. "I'll definitely visit her tomorrow. I'd even consider going tonight, but I have that meeting and I swore I'd be there."

Kouga nodded and shot her a grateful look, which was received with a wink from Ayame. Even though he had long since grown out of his feelings for her, he still felt a certain sense of duty to Higurashi Kagome for how kind she had always been in the fact of his unwanted (and likely annoying) advances, and everyone knew it. Because of his promise, he couldn't really say anything to her, but no one had ever thought to make Ayame take the same vow – and that would be his trump card. Smiling triumphantly, he dropped a kiss onto his wife's lips, put his concealment charm back on, and headed out the door to return to his unruly class. He could only hope that Ayame would see sense and tell the miko before it was too late.

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	4. Kikyou's Power and Kagome's Choice 1

**A/N:** I'm so happy to see that this story is starting to get more readers. Your reviews really do help and make me write chapters much faster! That's important cause right now, I'm participating in Camp NaNo, which means my attention will be more focused elsewhere for the month of August. I'm going to try to keep updating regularly, though, and remember reviews help with that!

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**Chapter 4**: Kikyou's Power and Kagome's Choice Part I

As the rising sun kissed the leaves of the Goshinboku and sent out tendrils of warmth that slid across her skin, Kagome leaned back against the rough bark and peered down at her house. Exactly twenty-eight minutes ago, she'd slung her backpack across her shoulders and walked out of the house like she had every intention of going to school. Halfway down the stairs, when her mother could no longer see her, she had backtracked and snuck back onto the grounds of the shrine. Kimiko was puttering around in the kitchen while Souta got ready for school, so she'd leapt up into the lower hanging branches of the tree and climbed her way to a good vantage point. Cradled as she was in between two branches and enshrouded by leaves, there was no way that someone would be able to see her unless he or she knew exactly what to look before.

Half-asleep, she yawned and was contemplating taking a nap when movement by the door of the house caused her to sit up and take notice. She watched with sharp eyes as the door opened and her grandfather stepped out, dressed in the clothing he wore when he was going out into the city. Good, his back wasn't acting up that day after all, which meant he would be gone for most of the day. As he walked beneath the Goshinboku, he stopped suddenly and looked up at the branches. Kagome shrank back into the shadows and held still as he smiled and continued on. Did he know she was there? Why hadn't he said anything?

"Did Nee-chan leave already, Mama?" Souta asked, stepping out onto the stone pathway.

"Yes, she left about half an hour ago, Souta. She said she had some things to do before school today." The pleased note in Kimiko's voice almost made Kagome feel guilty. "You go on by yourself. Have a good day!"

"Bye Mama!"

Kimiko disappeared back into the house. Kagome relaxed against the tree, one leg dangling over the side of the branch, and waited. Her grandfather had a doctor's appointment and then he was having lunch with his friend, the one who had a doctor for a son. She also knew from previous experience that her mother was usually out of the house on Tuesdays, running errands and having tea with her friends. Another hour or so and she'd have the house all to herself. It would be a relief to not have to worry about her mother hanging over her shoulder all the time.

About fourty-five minutes passed before Kimiko re-appeared, this time in her best clothes and carrying her purse and a shopping basket. She passed beneath the tree without so much as a glance upwards. All was right in her world, because as far as she knew, her daugher and son were at school. Kagome felt only mildly bad about fooling her mother as she let go of the branch and dropped lightly to the ground. Her muscles coiled and absorbed the force of the ten foot fall, allowing her to land on her feet easily. Her head rose and she stared after Kimiko, a frown pulling at her lips. Even if she wasn't a hanyou, she would have found it impossible to let go of Sengoku Jidai so quickly. Why couldn't her mother understand that?

Kagome sighed and absently adjusted her bandanna as she looked at the Goshinboku, remembering the time when she had been able to speak to Inuyasha even though he was in the past. She stepped closer and placed the palm of her hand on the tree. "Inuyasha," she whispered, pressing her forehead against the trunk. "Can you hear me?"

There was no answer, but then again, she hadn't really expected to get one. Slowly, she stepped away from the Goshinboku and walked towards the well house. Her mother hated the fact that Kagome kept coming back to see if the well had decided to work. In her eyes, Kagome should have been able to move on and work on becoming used to being just a regular girl again. For the first time, Kagome was beginning to realize why keeping the truth of her adventures from her mother hadn't been a good idea. Kimiko couldn't seem to understand that Kagome would never be a regular girl again, hanyou or not.

She slid the door to the well house open and stared through the gloom, feeling depressed. No matter how many times she jumped in, the well simply wouldn't work. If only she still possessed her miko powers... Kagome closed her eyes, trying her best not to cry. Light flickered in the world beyond her, and puzzled, she opened them again. Almost as though the well had heard her thoughts, a pinkish glow was radiating from deep within the depths. Kagome gasped and leapt forward, bounding down the steps and to the side of the well. She leaned over and stared hard, trying to make out what was going on. The time transfer had always been more of a murky greyish blue color, but what else could it be?

An answer came in the form of a series of brilliant white lights that exploded out of the well without warning as the pink glow died away. Kagome staggered backwards, shocked, and struck out clumsily with her claws when one of the lights came towards her. Her hand passed through it harmlessly as she tripped on the bottom stair and fell, landing hard on her bottom. Instinctively, she shielded her eyes from the intensity of the lights. They were so bright that it was difficult to stare right at them, but from what she could tell, none of them appeared to be trying to escape in spite of the open door. What were they? What was going on?

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered, using the railing to pull herself to her feet. She took an unsteady step in the direction of the well, intending to take another chance on jumping in, but she never got the chance. Above her head, the lights formed one large ball that circled around behind her and slammed directly into her back. Kagome pitched forward, striking her head on the edge of the well, and hit the ground unconscious.

**IKIKIKIK**

_ Warmth, intermixed with a chill that played around her legs, was what Kagome opened her eyes to. Pale pink mist billowed around her, obscuring the ground and much of her legs. Her forehead throbbed faintly with pain, and so did her lower back. Gently massaging the base of her spine, she looked around in confusion. How had she gotten from the well house to wherever she was? And just where exactly was she? There was nothing else around aside from the pink mist, which was fathomless, stretching in every direction as far as her eyes could see. The sky overhead was an odd shade of white tinged with grey, with no clouds or anything to give her any indication of where she was. _

_ "That's you."_

_ "What?" Kagome spun. Her mouth dropped open when she saw who was standing behind her and she sputtered uselessly for several seconds. "K... Ki... Kikyou?"_

_ The older miko stood behind her, dressed in the familiar white and red ceremonial robes that she had always worn. Her hair was drawn back into a low ponytail, and she held a bow in her hands. A quiver filled with dangerous looking arrows had been strapped to her back. There was no warmth in her dark brown eyes as she looked at Kagome. If anything, Kikyou seemed disgusted, a fact further evidenced by the way that she pulled an arrow from her quiver and strung it against her bow. Calmly, she pointed it at Kagome as the arrow began to glow a pale pink with miko energy._

_ "Explain to me why I should not purify you now," said Kikyou coldly. "You have allowed our soul to become_ tainted_."_

_ "Don't purify me!" Kagome cried, taking a step backwards and holding her hands up protectively. She realized belatedly that her bandanna, which she normally never took off unless she was in the privacy of her own room, was missing, allowing the dangerous miko to see her hanyou ears. "It was to save Inuyasha's life. I had to help him!"_

_ Kikyou frowned. "Explain."_

_ "It was all Naraku's fault. He poisoned Inuyasha during a fight. I had to share my blood with him to save his life. That turned me into a hanyou. I'm not a miko anymore," Kagome explained in a rush, keeping her eyes locked on Kikyou's arrow. If the woman shot at her, could she rely on her hanyou agility to get out of the way in time? She wasn't sure. Kikyou was remarkably fast with an arrow, and she didn't want to take the risk. "If... if you try to purify me..."_

_ "It might kill you," Kikyou agreed, sounding disturbingly pleased by that possibility. "Let me explain something to you. During my time on Earth, I borrowed a portion of your soul to keep my clay body animated. Now that I'm dead, that portion is returning to you." The arrow remained pointing steadily in Kagome's direction, but the miko energy died away as she spoke. "Your powers were likely sealed away when you became tainted. The return and fusion of your soul will unlock them. As you undoubtedly know, mikos and youkai do not mix. If you're lucky, your power might return you to being a human. But it's more likely that you'll be purified into nothing."_

_ Kagome felt sick. Unconsciously, she wrapped fingers that shook around the shard of the shikon no tama. "You're dead?" she whispered. All she could think about was how Inuyasha, if he was still alive, must have taken that. He'd given a lot to keep Kikyou alive. All of them had. And now the woman was dead. "What happened?"_

_ "That is irrelevant."_

_ "Not to me," she said quietly. "Was... Inuyasha upset... when it happened?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ A wave of relief went through Kagome that was so strong her knees almost gave out. Inuyasha was still alive, then. He had survived the poisoning! She put a hand over her chest and sighed, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Even if she wasn't able to see him again... even if Inuyasha was probably dead by now... she was happy to know that her sacrifice had given him a extension on life. Perhaps he had lived to destroy Naraku and avenge Kikyou's death after all. Kagome wanted to ask, but Kikyou's cold expression didn't make it seem like she would be willing to answer questions._

_ "You love him that much, then?" Kikyou asked. _

_ "I love Inuyasha more than anything," Kagome answered._

_ "More than your own life?" she challenged. "Think fast, girl. There is a choice that you have to make. Right now, your miko powers are beginning to become unlocked. Before long, your power will start purifying you. It won't take for long for it to get out of control. If that happens, you'll die." Kikyou paused to study Kagome's panicked expression. "But if I were to shoot this arrow at you with a concentrated amount of miko power, it would only purify your youkai side." Her lip curled. "You would be human again, albeit a tainted one. I'm not sure your powers would work for you."_

_ "Wait... you can make me a human again?" she asked in disbelief._

_ Kikyou nodded. "This is your choice to make. Choose now."_

**IKIKIKIK**

"Bye Souta-kun! See you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Megumi-chan."

Higurashi Souta stood on the first step of his family's shrine and waved as Kobayashi Megumi skipped off. She was in his class at school, and was widely known for being one of the cutest and sweetest girls in the whole grade. He was deeply flattered that she had asked if they could walk home together, but unfortunately, he didn't remember most of their conversation. His mind had been so preoccupied with thoughts of his older sister that Megumi had struggled with keeping his attention, even resorting to poking him in the arm at one point. It was all Kagome's fault... but he couldn't find it in himself to be angry with her.

He turned and began trudging up the long staircase, shrugging his heavy backpack off of his shoulders as he climbed. Kagome's friends had stopped him and Megumi on their way from school and asked if Kagome was sick again, since she hadn't shown up at school that day. As far as he knew (and, he suspected, as far as their mother knew), Kagome had left for school that morning. Somehow, she'd never actually arrived there. In any other teenaged girl, this might have been an alarming fact. But Souta wasn't concerned; he had the feeling he knew exactly where his sister was.

"Yup, Nee-chan can be so predictable," he said under his breath, spotting the open door to the well house when he got to the top of the stairs. He dropped his backpack by the Goshinboku and headed towards the well house. "Nee-chan? Are you in there? Mama will be home soon. You should probably – Nee-chan!"

Without even stopping to think about how dangerous it could be, Souta raced inside and down the stairs. Kagome was laying on her stomach in front of the well. There was dark red blood on the edge of the well, as well as a small puddle around Kagome's head. He gently rolled her over, fearing the worst, but found no sign of a visible wound anywhere on her body. Her chest rose and fell in a regular pattern that was comforting, but she was unconscious, and didn't respond even when he shook her shoulder and called her name.

"Nee-chan, what happened to you?" he asked, placing her head on his lap. Souta stared down at his sister, wondering what his next move should be. It was really amazing how much younger she looked when she was sleeping. Lately, Kagome had been walking around like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Every day her face became more pale and pinched with exhaustion, and her temper had become shorter. He placed a hand on her head and stroked her hair, taking care not to touch the puppy ears, even though he noticed with some fascination the silver dot on the tip of the right one.

"Souta! Souta! Where are you?"

"Oh boy," he muttered, looking down at Kagome. She looked so peaceful that he hated to get his mother's attention. But there was no way he'd be able to get Kagome out of the well house without some help. "In here, Mama. There's something wrong with Nee-chan. Can you help me?"

"What's wrong – Kagome!" Kimiko cried out when she saw her daughter and rushed down the steps. "What happened, Souta?"

"I don't know. I just found her like this." He refrained from mentioning that he had no idea just how long Kagome had been there. "She must have tripped."

Kimiko shook her head. "I told her to stay out of this place. Why can't she just listen?" She sighed loudly and cast a distastful look around. "It's just not healthy for her to spend all her time in here. It's so dank and musty."

"You can't expect her to forget Inuyasha that quickly," Souta protested, unable to keep silent any longer. "Mama, Inuyasha was Kagome's whole world. She adores him and those friends she had on the other side of the well. They were everything to her. The fact that the well has closed is tearing her apart inside. I don't even know if – " He stopped speaking when he saw the pained look on his mother's face.

"All I ever wanted was for the two of you to be happy," Kimiko said softly, kneeling down to touch her hand to Kagome's cheek. "But I was so afraid that I would loose her to that place. I wanted her to be happy _here_. I can't count how many times I wondered why she couldn't be. And now she's trapped here... and I'm so scared that she won't be able to make it without them. That I'll loose her to something entirely different. I want her to keep living, to find something new to live for. I just don't know how to tell her that."

Souta looked at his mother for a long time without speaking. She'd never shared anything so private with him before. "Mama... I think Nee-chan wants that, too. But she needs time. And... and maybe you could lay off about the whole hanyou thing. I think it's hard enough for her to get used to it as it is."

"How did you get to be so wise?" Kimiko asked, laughing a little and wiping at the tears in her eyes as she stood up. "Come on. You grab her shoulders and I'll get her legs. We'll have to carry her into the house."

Working together, mother and son managed to carry Kagome up the stairs and out into the yard. It was more difficult than either one of them had expected - Kagome wasn't exactly light - but they managed. From there, it was only a short journey into the house, where the two of them placed her on the couch in the living room. Souta stretched and went to fetch his backpack, while Kimiko filled a bowl with cold water and brought it in to her daughter. She knelt beside the couch and dipped a cloth into the bowl, then rung it out and placed it on Kagome's forehead.

Kagome moaned faintly at the sensation, then gasped sharply, her closed eyes clenching as her fists tightened. Her body arched as a pinkish glow suffused her skin. Kimiko choked on a scream and scrambled to her feet as Souta rushed into the room. Both of them watched in shock as the puppy ears on top of Kagome's head seemed to flicker, just as Kagome gave a low whine of pain. She started to thrash, twisting her arms and kicking out her legs and whimpering, like she was fighting an invisible foe. Seconds later, the glow flickered out, her puppy ears reappeared, and Kagome's body fell limply back onto the couch.

"What was that?" Souta's eyes were wide.

"I have no idea," Kimiko said shakily. If she didn't know better, she would have said Kagome had just had a seizure of some kind. Did that happen to hanyou? Warily, she picked up the cloth that had fallen to the floor and laid it back on Kagome's forehead, half expecting the pink glow to return. But it didn't.

"Is she okay, Mama?"

"I think so." She looked up as someone knocked on the door. "Oh, Souta, watch her, okay? Call me if something happens." Kimiko went back to answer the door as Souta took up a spot beside Kagome. Glancing over her shoulder at her children, she cracked the door open and found herself looking at a relatively young woman with long, dark hair pulled back into a braid. "Can I... help you?"

"I'm looking for Higurashi Kagome," said the woman with a pleasant smile. "I'm Kobayashi Akemi, the counsellor at her school? I was wondering if I could speak to her for a minute."

"I'm afraid Kagome isn't feeling well," Kimiko said. "She's resting right now."

"It's really important," Akemi said urgently. "Please, Higurashi-san, I really must insist..."

"Sorry, you'll have to either wait and speak to Kagome when she returns to school, or try again tomorrow," said Kimiko firmly. "My daughter is ill and needs her rest." Without waiting for an answer, she closed the door and returned to Kagome's side. Souta took his backpack and went upstairs, but Kimiko remained at Kagome's side, patiently wetting the cloth and placing it back on her forehead every so often. "Don't worry, baby. It's time I started looking out for you, too," she whispered. "I won't let anyone bother you anymore."

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Please review!


	5. Kikyou's Power and Kagome's Choice 2

**A/N:** I'll be updating every Friday/Saturday night from now on, okay? I hope this chapter is understandable to everyone. I tried to make it as clear as possible, but sometimes you never know... Oh well. Enjoy.

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Chapter 5: Kikyou's Power and Kagome's Choice Part 2

_ Kagome clenched her hands into fists at her sides and forced herself to raise her eyes from the arrow. Instead, she looked into Kikyou's dark eyes, trying to assess what the woman was thinking. No doubt Kikyou thought she was somehow being generous and kind by offering to terminate Kagome's youkai side and turn her back into a human. Her disgust at Kagome being a hanyou, even if it was for Inuyasha, was written all over her face. Which meant... Narrowing her eyes, Kagome wondered just how much she could trust Kikyou. Would the return of her miko powers really kill her for certain, or did Kikyou just not want to die knowing that her reincarnation had been willing to become a hanyou?_

_ "If you shoot that arrow, how do I know you won't try to kill me?"_

_ The slightest movement of Kikyou's fingers was the only warning that Kagome got. With a faint twang, the arrow lit up with pinkish miko energy and leapt free of the bow, aimed straight at Kagome's heart. She screamed and threw herself to the side, but she wasn't quite fast enough to get out of the way entirely. The arrow nicked her right arm and burned with pain as she hit the ground and rolled. By the time she was able to stop her momentum, Kikyou had a second arrow pointing in her direction._

_ "Don't tempt me," Kikyou said. "If I wanted you dead, you would be dead."_

_ "I can't believe you_ shot_ at me," Kagome muttered, sitting back on her heels and loosely wrapping her hand around her arm. The wound throbbed with pain, and her hanyou powers weren't doing anything to heal it. She was at a severe disadvantage here. "Tell me the honest truth. If I don't agree... if I don't want to become a human again... will my powers really kill me? Is there no way for me to be a hanyou _and_ a miko?"_

_ Kikyou's eyes widened. "Why would you want to remain as a hanyou?" she asked, looking genuinely amazed. "You are a miko, Kagome. It's what you were born as."_

_ "Inuyasha was born as a hanyou and you wanted _him_ to become human," said Kagome. She knew as soon as the words were out of her mouth that she shouldn't have said it. This time, she didn't need to look at Kikyou to know that another arrow was coming her way. Immediately, she dove forward, hitting the ground hard on her stomach. The arrow passed harmlessly over her head, landing less than a foot behind her body. As the energy fizzled and began to dissipate, Kagome sat up and turned back to Kikyou, unsurprised to see that a third arrow had been notched. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, even though it's true."_

_ "Youkai are tainted. It's our job to purify them from this world. You are a miko, which means you can't be a hanyou. Those are the facts. You became a hanyou to save Inuyasha's life, but why would you want to stay that way if you don't have to?" A knowing gaze pinned Kagome to the spot. "It's been difficult for you, hasn't it?"_

_ Kagome didn't say anything for a minute. What could she say? Kikyou was only telling the truth in this case. Being a hanyou in the modern world was far more difficult than Kagome had anticipated. She'd spent the last week and a half feeling cut off from everyone around her, like she was completely alone because no one else could really understand. But would that really change if she was a human again? A normal, modern life would always be out of her reach, regarldess of whether she was human or hanyou. Her fists tightened further and she winced, distracted from her thoughts when her claws sliced into her skin. Blood pooled into the palm of her hand when she held it up, dribbling off her skin and falling into the pink mist. That's when Kagome knew what her answer would be._

_ "No."_

_ "No?" Kikyou repeated, shocked._

_ "That's right. I said no," Kagome said. "I won't let you purify me on purpose, Kikyou. I'd rather take my chances with my own powers."_

_ "But... why?"_

_ "Because. The well doesn't work anymore, and I can't see Inuyasha anymore." Kagome looked down at the blood on her hands. "But... I just realized that as long as Inuyasha's blood flows in my body, he's still with me. He's still alive as long as I'm here and his blood is in my veins." She folded her hands in front of her chest, like she was praying, and closed her eyes. "I can't give that up."_

_ For a long time, there was only a shocked silence that hung in the air, and Kagome grew nervous, wondering if maybe Kikyou was going to shoot her anyway. But then there came a bright flash of white light and a loud cracking sound that made Kagome's eyes fly open. Thin cracks ran up Kikyou's arms and shoulders and into her face. As Kagome watched in horror, the clay and dirt pieces shattered and fell away, leaving only Kikyou's transparent soul behind. Suddenly, her face looked much kinder and friendlier. There was even a tiny smile on her face as she let go of the arrow that had been notched and tucked it back into her quiver. She held the bow at her side as the miko energy around the arrow dissipated._

_ "You really love him too," Kikyou said softly. "I'm pleased. You'll be good for him if you make it." She looked down at the bow, then unstrapped the quiver from her back. "Here, you're going to need these."_

_ "Thank you." Snapping out of her surprised daze, Kagome reached out and took the weapons from Kikyou. It felt good to hold a bow in her hands again. "I... want to see Inuyasha again."_

_ "I know." Kikyou turned, walking a few feet away from Kagome. When she spoke again, her voice as so soft that only Kagome's hanyou hearing enabled her to hear it. "I often wonder... how life for me and Inuyasha would have turned out if I could have been more like you."_

_ "Kikyou..."_

_ "Good-bye, Kagome. Good luck." Kikyou's body was beginning to fade. "The next time you meet up with Naraku, shoot him once for me."_

_ "Wait! Kikyou!" Kagome went to take a step forward and gasped as a paralyzing pain swept over her body, radiating from her chest. She collapsed on the floor, screaming, as crackling pink energy began to appear around her body. The world around her disappeared, leaving her in an endless black void. It was even worse than when she'd become a hanyou. She had never imagined that there could be pain like this, like her blood was boiling and her bones were dissolving._

_ "Inuyasha..." she whispered, closing her eyes. Tears slipped down her cheeks as her body spasmed in agony, in so much pain that she couldn't even find the strength to scream. Images and thoughts of Inuyasha ghosted through her mind. Their first kiss, the only one that they had ever shared. The first time he had ever said that he would protect her. Handing Tetsusaiga to him and being with him as he learned how to use his father's gift. Seeing him with Kikyou and acknowledging the fact that she wanted to be at his side, anyway. Fighting alongside of him against Naraku. Watching him give in to his youkai side, and struggling to help with the remorse, shame and guilt that he felt afterwards. Sleeping in the forest while he watched over them, his family. His beautiful golden eyes and long silvery hair. The way she felt when he was around. "I... love you... Inuyasha..."_

_ A brilliant pink light exploded around her body._

**IKIKIKIK**

Kagome opened her eyes and looked up through darkness to stare at the ceiling of her house. Her body was aching something fierce, but she was still alive. How? Slowly, her arms shaking and weak, she managed to push herself into a sitting position that was supported by the armrest her head had been against. Something sharp pricked her on the leg and she glanced down, startled, to see that the full quiver of holy arrows that Kikyou had given her was lying by her feet. The bow was on the ground next to the couch, slightly scuffed from the fall, but overall no worse for the wear.

"How am I...?" She touched her chest, feeling her heart beat, and then instinctively reached for the top of her head, tracing the soft fur of the puppy ears that had somehow become familiar. Curious, she closed her eyes and searched for the spiritual power that had been missing since that fateful day. Amazingly, it was there and even stronger than before, rising to her call when she tentatively summoned it. Kagome opened her eyes and saw a bit of pink light shining in the palm of her hand. The most astonishing thing of all was that it didn't even hurt. "I'm still a hanyou... How can I be a miko as well?"

"Love can work in mysterious and miraculous ways, Kagome."

"J... Jii-chan!" Kagome yelped, nearly dropping the bow she had instinctively grabbed for. The older man was sitting in the chair across from the couch, and she hadn't even noticed his presence. Mentally scolding herself, she twisted her upper body to face him as best she could and spoke sheepishly. "How long have you... What were you... Um... Hi?"

"Hi," he said, amusement shining in his brown eyes. He sipped from his cup of tea before continuing, "I've been watching over you so that your mother could go and get some rest. She's been looking after you constantly during the past two days, to the point where I had to promise that I wouldn't take a single step out of this room without letting her know. She has been very concerned about you."

"Really?" Her hands flexed nervously around the wood. It warmed her heart to hear that her mother had been worried. "Has it been two days?"

"Yes. For once, we had a valid excuse to tell the school, and I didn't have to make up a wild story."

Her lips moved in a tentative smile. "I'm sorry I scared everyone. I didn't mean to."

Jii-chan chuckled. "It's not your fault, Kagome. As I told your mother, I had the feel that this was no ordinary sleep. Your aura was fluctuating, always changing. Once or twice, your powers nearly purified you."

"Yes, she was a damn good shot with an arrow," she agreed, recalling those close brushes with death. She realized that he was giving her an odd look and flushed. The tale of Kikyou was not one for her family to hear about, especially when Kagome didn't completely understand what had happened herself. Her soul felt whole once more, and that little persistent ache in her chest had finally vanished. But why was she still a hanyou? "Jii-chan... do you know... how can I be a miko and a hanyou at the same time? Isn't that impossible?"

His expression turned thoughtful. "I know that you do not think much of my charms or stories, Kagome, but do listen to me when I say that the one thing that every priest is taught is that the strength of one's spirit directly correlates to the amount of spiritual power. When you fell in love with that hanyou, it only made you stronger instead of weakening you, as it might have another miko." He leaned forward, eyes intent. "Your capacity to love has always been one of your greatest strengths, and there is no stronger sacrifice than the one borne of love. I can't say exactly why you have been given this chance, but I would suggest that your answer lies there."

"So... you're saying... that I'm still a hanyou because I love Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly, picking at a small thread on the couch. Her sharp claws sliced through it easily, and she smiled sadly. "That because I was willing to give up a part of my humanity so that he could live... My spirit and my miko powers accepted that?"

"Well, that is just what this old man thinks," Jii-chan said. "Don't start taking anything I say too seriously, now."

"I won't, don't worry."

He chuckled and stood up. "I should tell your mother that you're awake."

"Jii-chan, let her sleep for a bit," she urged, her head facing the door. One of her ears twitched. Her hanyou senses were dulled on the shrine grounds, but, whether it was from being on holy grounds or the return of her soul, her miko senses were boosted. She could tell that there was someone – or something – out in the yard that was not a normal human. If a fight was going to happen, she did not want her family to get mixed up in it. "I think I'll step outside and get some air."

"Alright. Perhaps I'll go make sure Souta is still in bed," he said, watching Kagome pick her bandanna up and carefully tie it around her head. From his pocket, he produced a bottle of the perfume Kagome and her mother had purchased that weekend. He set it down on her lap. "You may need this."

"Thank you." The perfume smelled lightly of flowers as she spritzed herself sparingly. It would help.

Prepared, Kagome stood up, steadying herself against the couch. Wow, her head hurt. If there was a youkai waiting for a fight, she hoped it would be a swift one. With practiced ease, she scooped up the quiver of arrows – Kikyou's only gift to her – and strapped them into place across her back. She cradled the bow in her hands as she eased towards the door. Unlike Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku, Kagome had very little experience when it came to physical fighting. Her friends had always done their best to keep her away from that aspect of their battles. Having hanyou senses did not magically change that. The strength was there, but that was no match for experience and knowing _how _to fight. A well trained human would probably still be able to kick her ass, never mind a powerful youkai. Though at least this time, she'd probably be able to get out of the way on her own.

Holding an arrow in one hand and the bow in the other, Kagome slipped out the window, knowing that walking out the front door could be suicide. She notched the arrow and stealthily moved forward until she could see around the house. Beneath the Goshinboku was a young woman who appeared to be human. Her hair was dark and her skin was pale and she was dressed simply in a long skirt and blouse. But the youkai aura radiating from her was unmistakable. Kagome took a slow, deep breath and stepped forward, bringing the arrow with her.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Kagome demanded.

"I've been waiting for you," said the woman, who was older than Kagome had first realized. She didn't look surprised to see Kagome, and more importantly, she didn't seem afraid. "You don't recognize me?"

Uncertain, Kagome studied her more carefully. The appearence was completely unfamiliar, but the aura... her miko power tingled, speaking of something she had felt long ago. She couldn't put her finger on it, but... "Who... are you?"

A slender hand reached up, and Kagome was instantly alert, her fingers ready to release at the slightest sign that something was off. The woman just chuckled as she tugged at her necklace, pulling it free from her neck. The transformation was instant. Long black hair worn down morphed into bright red hair tied into pigtails. Dark brown eyes became mischevious emerald green. She was still wearing the skirt and top, but now it seemed strangely out of place. Kagome gasped and the arrows she had been holding slipped from her fingers to land silently on the ground.

"A-Ayame-chan?"

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Please review if you want to see that all important reunion!


	6. Broken Arrow

**A/N:** Wow, so many reviews, I'm really happy. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter... It's the reunion, but probably not how you all thought it would go (isn't that always the case when it comes to Inuyasha and Kagome?). Please enjoy!

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Chapter 6: Broken Arrow

"Hello, Kagome-chan," Ayame said, looking unusually cheerful. She slipped the charm she'd worn around her neck into her pocket and smiled brightly. "How are you doing?"

"W-what... How... I... you... you're..._ alive_," Kagome managed to get out at last, looking dazed.

Ayame blinked. "Well, yes. Did – oof!" A harsh yelp escaped her lips as the force of Kagome's sudden tackle drove her back against the trunk of the Goshinboku. Wincing even as her youkai healing ability kicked in, Ayame gently rested her hands on Kagome's shoulders, concerned by the tears that she could smell. "Kagome-chan, what's wrong?"

"I thought you were dead. I thought Naraku had killed you all," Kagome cried, tears sliding silently down her cheeks. The necklace that Ayame had worn must have also disguised the_ feel_ of her as a youkai, because now Kagome's miko powers were able to identify Ayame with no problems at all. Under the pretence of clinging closer, she pressed her face to Ayame's shoulder and breathed in deeply, forever imprinting the scent of bananas and cinnamon on her hanyou nose.

"Oh, that _bastard_! Kouga was right," Ayame muttered, ashamed to know that she had not pushed harder to speak with Kagome before then. Her hands rose and she gently stroked Kagome's hair. "I'm so sorry, Kagome-chan."

"Wait. K-Kouga-kun? He's... alive, too?" Hardly daring to hope, Kagome released her tight hold and backed away a step so that she could peer into Ayame's green eyes. The movement had the added bonus of causing Ayame's hands to drop to Kagome's shoulders, away from the bandanna and what it hid.

"Yes! He's my mate now," said Ayame, a hint of a satisfied smile playing around her lips. Her lips pressed into a frown when she got a closer look at Kagome. Now that she had the chance to see the girl properly, it was obvious what had put Kouga into such a state. The miko's face was pale, except for dark purple rings that lined the flesh under her eyes, and she looked exhausted and worn. Her eyes were temporarily filled with joy and delight, but underneath that was a deep well of depression and pain. Ayame made her decision in an instant and squeezed Kagome's shoulders. "Would you like to go and see him?"

"Could I? Do you think he'd mind?"

"_Mind_? Kouga is the one who requested that I come and see you," said Ayame. She turned, suddenly, and looked in the direction of a small clump of bushes that lined the edge of the shrine. "Whoever is on duty, you can come out."

Kagome watched, amazed, as after a minute or two, the bushes parted and a small girl who looked to be no older than Souta emerged. She had long, silvery white hair tied back in a braid and big, dark brown eyes. Her creamy complexion was spotless, save for a single purple stripe across her right cheek. On top of her head were two tiny white puppy ears, signifying her status as an inu-hanyou. As though walking out of bushes was something she did every day, the girl paused long enough to carefully dust off her dark purple sundress before she crossed the yard towards them.

"You called?" she asked. Her voice was young, but the tone and way she held herself spoke of someone much older and wiser. "Papa says we're supposed to stay hidden, you know."

"He also says you're not supposed to call him 'Papa' and look how well you obey," Ayame said, clearly amused as she placed a hand on the young girl's head. "Kagome-chan, this is Miho-chan. She is Sesshoumaru's daughter."

"S-Sesshoumaru's daughter?" Kagome echoed, stunned. She looked down at the little girl and, without stopping to think about it, knelt and embraced her. To her surprise, the girl didn't struggle away, but instead returned the hug with equal fervour. "I didn't think he was alive. I thought... I thought _everyone_ was dead."

Ayame smiled sadly. "Come on, Kagome-chan. Just wait and see." Reaching down, she took Kagome by the arm and helped the miko to her feet. Miho retrieved the arrow that Kagome had dropped and silently followed them down the long staircase to where a limo was waiting at the curb. The three of them climbed into the expensive car, and Ayame leaned forward and tapped lightly on the glass, causing the driver to start the car and begin the journey.

"So... you're a guidance counsellor now?" Kagome asked, unnerved by the silence. Miho was playing with the arrow, testing the sharpness of the point against her fingers, and Ayame had pulled out a cell phone and was typing something into it. "At my school?"

"Kouga and I took jobs there to watch over you," Ayame explained, tucking the phone back into her pocket. "So that we could be nearby in case something happened. You had the shikon no tama, and Inuyasha wasn't always able to be with you." A frown touched her lips when Kagome swallowed hard at the name. "Just like Sesshoumaru has had your house and your family under surveillance for the past five hundred years. Your family has _always_ been watched over, Kagome-chan, but he became extra vigilant after you were born." She looked at Miho, who gazed back placidly, completely unconcerned about the small cut that had opened on her finger. "Miho-chan and her twin brother watch over you all the time."

"Really? I didn't know..." Kagome wasn't sure what to say to that. All this time, she had believed that she was alone, and as it turned out, people who cared about her were closer than she ever could have imagined. She looked out the window, trying to hold back tears, and touched the shard of the shikon no tama that hung around her neck, belatedly realizing that even _that_ felt different to her improved miko powers. Different, brighter, a constant star in the wake of her powers. "I... I appreciate that... I can't believe that Sesshoumaru would do so much. I thought he hated me."

"Oh, I'm sure he still does, but his mate would accept no less."

"His mate?"

"I won't say any more until we get there," Ayame said, green eyes twinkling.

Kagome pouted, but accepted the answer nevertheless. She turned her gaze out the window, realizing that in the company of Ayame and Sesshoumaru's daughter, she felt safer than she had in weeks... since her last visit to Sengoku Jidai, in fact. For the first time, she was able to relax without worrying that a youkai might sense her weakness and sneak up on her to steal the shard, to the point where she even contemplated taking off her bandanna. Ayame didn't seem to be aware of the biggest change that had overcome Kagome since they had last met, and Kagome wanted to tell someone. But before she could, the limo slowed in front of the gates to a driveway that led towards an enormous house. Gasping, she pressed herself against the glass and stared in amazement.

The mansion was bigger than anything she had ever seen before, and there were at least a couple dozen humans walking around, coming and going and tending to the grounds. As the limo rolled through the gates, it passed harmlessly through a barrier that made Kagome shiver. Suddenly, the people outside of the limo didn't look human anymore, but were youkai and hanyou of various breeds. Many of them looked at the limo with open curiosity as it glided up to the front of the house and stopped. Miho silently passed Kagome's arrow into her hands and slid across the seat. She waited until the limo driver, now revealed to be some kind of bird youkai, opened the door before she got out. Ayame climbed out second, followed by Kagome, who was last. The driver closed the door behind them, then circled around and drove off as Kagome tucked the arrow back into her quiver and stared up at the mansion.

"Is this... Sesshoumaru's home?" she asked.

"That's right. Come on." Ayame led her up the steps and into the entrance hall of the home, acting like she belonged there. Most of the youkai inside bowed politely when they saw her, even though Ayame didn't spare them a glance. Kagome was very aware of the hostile glares that she was receiving in Ayame's wake, and knew that most of them were likely because of her bow and arrow. Even in this day and age, youkai and hanyou alike would have reason to distrust a miko. She tried to ignore them as she followed Ayame up even more stairs, to the third and top floor of the mansion.

"Kagome-chan..." About halfway down the hall, Ayame turned to face her, wearing a worried expression. "Try not to be too shocked, okay?"

"Okay..." Kagome agreed, puzzled as she slung the bow over her shoulders in a more comfortable position. But as the two of them got closer to the end of the hall, her confusion drained away, replaced by shock when she heard a _very_ familiar voice shouting in rage.

" – fucking wolf! How _dare_ you go behind my back and contact Kagome!"

"She's suffering without you, asshole! Kagome needs you!"

"Don't you tell me what Kagome does and doesn't need. She wasn't supposed to know that we were here! You gave me your word that you would _never _tell her the truth!"

Ayame flinched at the cruel words and reached out a hand to grab Kagome's arm, obviously intending to stop the miko's progress. Kagome sidestepped her easily and kept going, her face completely blank, until she was beside the door and could hear even more clearly than before. More crashing and unintelligible snarling came from inside the room. It sounded like the people inside were trying to tear each other apart. Suddenly, there was a viciously loud growl, and then silence, before it was broken by the second man speaking in a strained manner.

"You just don't get it, dog shit. I didn't even tell her. Ayame did."

"You think that makes a fucking difference? I agreed to let you take that job so that you could try and find a way to get the shards. Not so you could try to cozy up to her!"

"Damn you – " The words that Kouga had been about to spit out died in his throat when he saw the girl standing in the doorway. His blue eyes grew wide and he stopped in the process of throwing a fist forward.

It was _him_, just like she had imagined in so many of her dreams over the past two weeks. Kagome stared at the man in the middle of the large room, her eyes taking in the familiar shower of silver hair and the puppy ears that twitched so cutely, begging for her attention. He wasn't wearing his traditional fire rat robes, but he was still barefoot and the Tetsusaiga was hanging at his waist, and overall, it was unmistakable. Instinctively, she took a deep breath, allowing the scent of salt and spice and fresh air and just a hint of vanilla-and-pine to flood her nose. Her miko senses tingled with glee. That more than anything told her that eyes and ears were not lying.

Inuyasha was alive.

He turned around like he was in slow motion. Gold eyes filled with shock when he saw her. His mouth moved, whispering her name into the silence. "Ka-Kagome..."

There were other people in the room, Kagome was vaguely aware of that. Kouga, and Sesshoumaru, and a dark-haired woman that looked somewhat familiar, and other people standing in the shadows that she probably could have easily made it out if she'd bothered to try. But she had eyes only for the hanyou that currently looked incredibly guilty. He was no doubt wondering what she had heard. She was fighting against the urge to fling herself into his arms and cling to him desperately. It became easier when he spoke her name and a tremendous rush of anger and hurt finally broke through her daze.

"Osuwari." Kagome spoke the word as coldly as she could, taking no pleasure from the way the rosary lit and dragged Inuyasha down immediately. He hit the floor so hard that the rest of the mansion shook. She clenched her hands into fists, trying to control her emotions, and finally spun on her heel. Ayame had the good sense to get out of Kagome's way without saying a word of protest, allowing the miko to pass through the door and down the hallway.

"Kagome, wait!" Inuyasha was screaming and no doubt struggling against the subduing spell, his voice following her as she went down the stairs. "You don't understand. I wasn't – "

"OSUWARI!" she shrieked, recognizing that enough time had passed for him to get up. She broke into a run, like the volume of the word had snapped something inside of her, and fairly flew out the front doors of the mansion. The hanyou and youkai milling around outside jumped out of her way even as Inuyasha swore loudly and violently enough to be heard halfway down the driveway. "Osuwari, osuwari, _O-S-U-W-A-R-I_!"

The last incantation was enough, dragging him down hard enough to make the wood crack. Kagome shot down the rest of the driveway, putting her hanyou speed to good use, and through the open gates. The world behind her faded into a normal human one as she made it to the sidewalk and took off down the street, aiming for the downtown area, where it would be a lot more difficult for Inuyasha to track her down – if he bothered to try. She didn't want to see him right now. Not until she felt she could talk to him without wanting to slap him across the face.

Kagome was well within the heart of the city by the time she stopped, and that was only because she was crying too hard to see where she was going. She leaned against a store window and struggled to catch her breath, staring down at the sidewalk. With hands that shook, she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Would it always be like this? How was it that Inuyasha had the power to reduce her to tears when she had promised herself that she would be deliriously happy if ever saw him again?

"Inuyasha, you idiot!" she screamed finally, raging at the heavens. "You stupid, stupid _IDIOT_!"

The people walking by all stopped and stared at the strange, screaming girl who was wearing a school uniform and medieval weaponry. Kagome ignored them and started walking again, wandering aimlessly, not wanting to return to the shrine now that she knew Sesshoumaru's children would be there. No matter how often she brushed at her face, the tears kept coming. She could hardly believe the words that she had heard coming out of Inuyasha's mouth. The fact that he had planned to take the shard of the shikon no tama from her was upsetting enough, but had he really planned to _never_ let her know that he was alive? It was unbearable to contemplate, that she might have been alone until the end of her days... and who knew how long that might be now that she was a hanyou?

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she hissed fiercely, feeling all of her anger drain out of her in a rush. Kagome sat down on a nearby bench and buried her face in her hands, shaking with the effort of trying not to cry. She loved Inuyasha more than anything else in the world. But never once had he given her any indication that he might feel the same way, and now she realized that she had to face the fact that perhaps he didn't. And as much as Kagome wanted to believe that he had a purpose for keeping such a secret, she just didn't know if her battered heart could take it anymore.

**IKIKIKIK**

The room was completely silent for several minutes following Kagome's departure. Inuyasha was still sprawled on the ground, inches from the doorway, as Kagome's final command had brought him down just as he was preparing to charge through. Even though the subduing spell had worn off, he hadn't moved, and no one else in the room seemed to be ready to speak. Ayame was still staring at the doorway, shocked and mesmerized by the emotions that she'd seen in Kagome's face as the miko pushed her way past. She had never known that someone could feel so much despair and still be alive. Even more surprising was that the shikon no tama still glimmered with purity in spite of Kagome's pain.

"That went well," Kouga said, finally breaking the silence. There was a troubled look on his face when Ayame turned around and glanced at him. "Congratulations, Inuyasha. You've certainly made sure that Kagome wants nothing to do with us now."

Inuyasha growled low in his throat and lifted himself to his feet at last. He glared at Kouga murderously. "This is all your fault," he bit out. "If you had just done what you were supposed to..."

"You're _still_ trying to blame me for this?" Kouga looked at him like he was stupid. "I never broke my word, and I have to believe that a rival of mine is brighter than that, dog shit. For some reason I've never been able to figure out, Kagome loves you, and she wants to be with you. How do you think she's feeling, knowing that you didn't want to tell her that you were alive? Or that you were going to steal the shikon no tama from her?"

"I was trying to protect her," the hanyou snapped.

"Well maybe it's time to let go of this foolish idea of protection!"

"Inuyasha, you can't protect Kagome-onee-san from everything," interjected a new voice, before the fight could begin again. The dark-haired woman standing beside Sesshoumaru's chair had spoken, drawing the attention of both men to her. "She has been a part of this war since the beginning, and you have to realize that it is her right to fight if that is what she wants." The woman held up a hand to forestall an argument. "Furthermore, if Naraku finds out Kagome-onee-san is alive, he'll do everything in his power to kill her, for both revenge and because he knows what she means to you... to everyone. I realize that we have people watching her, but... that might not be enough anymore. The safest place for Kagome-onee-san might very well be at your side."

A shocked look on his face, Inuyasha opened his mouth and then closed it, temporarily struck speechless. His only thought for months had been on how to protect Kagome, and it had seemed obvious to him that the best way to do that was by keeping her out of the war – and out of Naraku's hands – altogether. It had never occurred to him that she might actually be safer where he could protect her, than she was oblivious to anything that was going on.

"But... what do I tell her?" he asked, his voice sounding unusually meek.

"Gather your pack," the woman said patiently. "They will know what to do."

"And don't fuck it up this time, or I swear, I'll pull Kagome aside the next time she's at school and tell her everything myself," Kouga threatened.

"Stay away from Kagome, wolf," Inuyasha muttered, half-heartedly at best. His thoughts in a whirl, he turned and strode past Ayame. It had been a long time since he'd devastated Kagome to the point where she'd run from him, and she hadn't subdued him so hard in ages. He could only hope that his pack really _would_ know what to do, because he didn't think Kagome would be willing to listen to him.

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Please review!


	7. Find Your Way Back Home

**A/N:** I got tons of questions about the dark-haired woman (fairly obvious, I think, since most guesses were right) and about Inuyasha's pack. Let me tell you, I spent a long time thinking about whether I should have Miroku and Sango be alive, or whether I should do it another way. Finally, I just had to pick a way and hope that it came out right! Looking back, I personally adore the way this chapter came out (it's longer than usual, even), and so I hope that you guys will, too.

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Chapter 7: Find Your Way Back Home

"Kagome. You have a visitor."

"Is it my friends from school, Mama? Please ask them to go away. I don't feel like seeing any of them right now."

"No, it's someone different. She says she's an old friend of yours, and she's very insistent on not leaving until she sees you."

Kagome paused. Her natural instinct was to remain buried in her bed covers, but now she was curious. An old friend? Who could that be? "Okay, okay, I'm coming."

Hanyou ears twitching as she listened hard, Kagome waited until she was sure that her mother had left her door before she rolled over, pulled the blankets down, and sighed. Two days. It had been _two days_ since she'd left the mansion, and she hadn't heard anything from Inuyasha since that time. The only sign that she hadn't imagined the whole encounter had come in the form of Miho, who had taken up her position in the bushes without saying a word to Kagome. She had been there ever since. Even now, Kagome's miko power could sense the – by now familiar – girl. Maybe Inuyasha was angry with her? Kagome closed her eyes. Maybe he _hated_ her...

"Kagome!"

"I'm _coming_!" she shouted, pushing aside thoughts of Inuyasha and reluctantly climbing out of the bed. She wondered who the visitor could be as she shucked her pyjamas in favour of something less wrinkled and fixed her bandanna into place. If it was Eri, Yuki, and Ayame, she was going to be really annoyed that her mother hadn't just given them an excuse and urged them to leave. If it was Ayame... well, Kagome didn't know what she would do, but it would likely involve a lot of subduing for Inuyasha for daring to send the wolf youkai to smooth over _his_ problem. If it was an enemy...

Exiting her room with her weapons in hand, Kagome stopped at the top of the stairs and closed her eyes. Reaching inside of herself, she caught hold of a strand of her miko power and tossed it out, mentally searching the grounds for a youkai or hanyou. Nothing came back except for the quiet presence of Miho in the west corner. Likely not a fight, then, but just in case there was a human enemy lying in wait, she slung her bow and arrows over her shoulder and went down the stairs, fully expecting to see her school friends. Her jaw dropped as she rounded the corner and for a minute, she stood completely still and just stared.

Dressed in a simple pair of loose black slacks, black shoes, and a light pink blouse, the dark-haired woman was certainly someone Kagome recognized... though not from school. She still stood at about two or three inches higher than Kagome, and she had her long hair loose around her shoulders. There was a package tucked underneath her right arm, and a sword strapped across her back. Dark brown eyes highlighted with pink mascara twinkled in Kagome's direction as the girl smiled broadly, clearly enjoying Kagome's state of shock.

"Hello, Kagome-chan," Sango said pleasantly.

"S-Sango-chan?" Kagome gasped, wondering if she had entered a parallel dimension. Weakly, she grabbed onto the kitchen counter. "What... How...?"

Sango glanced at Kagome's mother, who was watching the scene with great interest. "Why don't we go out for ice cream?" she suggested. "My treat. I think we have some things to talk about."

Nodding dumbly, Kagome obediently pulled her shoes on and followed Sango out the door, not even remembering to say good-bye to her mother, who hovered in the doorway as the two girls crossed the grounds and started down the stairs. She couldn't take her eyes off of her friend, who by all rights, should have died five hundred years ago. If Sango noticed the rude staring, she pretended not to. The two of them walked in complete silence to a small park not too far from the shrine, where there was an ice cream vendor.

"What flavour do you want?" Sango asked, surveying the stand and the half dozen small children clustered around it.

"I'm not hungry. I want to know... How..."

"I'm not really Sango," said Sango simply. "I mean... I am, but I'm not."

Kagome frowned. "I'm officially not following you."

"My name in this time is Mori Seiko," said the girl gently. She walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, then motioned for Kagome to sit down next to her. "It all began when I was younger... just a baby, really. My parents would tell me that for as long as I could talk, I've been speaking of another life, one where I was a full-fledged taijiya. Some parents might be alarmed by this, but..." she shrugged a little and laughed lightly. "Otou-san never really thought much of it. After all, we own the Mori Center, that martial arts studio downtown. It's really a front, so that we can train as taijiya without incurring trouble from the public or the government. He thought that I just had a good imagination and that I was picturing myself as the great taijiya from the legend." Seiko looked down at the ground and rested her chin on her hand. "The truth is, I just remember everything from my past life."

"You... You're Sango-chan... reincarnated?" Kagome said, shocked. She could hardly believe Seiko's story, and probably wouldn't have if the evidence wasn't right in the front of her. This girl looked _exactly_ like Sango. It was almost eerie. There had always been a faint resemblance between Kagome and Kikyou, but nothing like this. "And you... remember _everything_?"

Seiko nodded. "That's right. I didn't always, though. When I was younger, my memories were scattered at best until September 24th, 1997." She watched Kagome closely and was rewarded when the girl's snapped up.

"But that's – "

"That's right. The first day you were pulled into the well," she said. "It's also the day that Inuyasha appeared in this world and the well closed to him."

"Now you've _totally_ lost me."

"It's like this. After that fight with Naraku, Houshi-sama, Shippou-chan, Kirara and I returned to the village," Seiko explained, sounding so much like Sango that it actually hurt. "Inuyasha stumbled into Kaede-sama's hut a few days later without you. He told us that he had been poisoned by Naraku. Kaede-sama checked his wounds and found that they were recovering nicely, but we figured that you had returned to the future to get medicine for him and been detained." She shook her head. "Even though we knew that you'd never leave with Inuyasha so sick... We still hoped..." She sighed. "But then when Inuyasha tried to jump into the well to fetch you after more than three days had passed, it refused to open."

An awful feeling stole over Kagome and she ducked her head, trying not to picture how horrible it must have been for her friends and Inuyasha. "I tried to get through," she whispered. "I tried so hard..."

"I know," Seiko said gently, placing her free hand on Kagome's arm. "Inuyasha and Shippou-chan were inconsolable for several days, and we didn't know _what_ to do but hope that somehow, you would return." Her head rose, and she looked off into the distance. "Then one day, Kikyou's shinidamachu appeared, and he went after her. Houshi-sama, Shippou-chan and I followed him." Seiko tilted her head back and offered a weak smile, clearly concerned that Kagome might be upset. "Well, to be honest we missed most of the conversation, but we found them just as Kikyou told Inuyasha that she was setting him free from his promise as long as he swore to kill Naraku. She said that the Inuyasha who had loved you was not the man she wanted to drag to hell with her."

"Kikyou said that?" Kagome said, surprised. Her mind flashed back to the conversation she'd had with Kikyou, when the older miko had remarked that she wondered what life would have been like for her and Inuyasha if she were more like Kagome. "She... really set Inuyasha free?"

"She did more than that, Kagome-chan. It was amazing. Her body started to dissolve, like it was made of water, and her shinidamachu took the souls that appeared and flew in the direction of the well. We all gave chase, but..." She shrugged. "Maybe we should have known what they planned to do. The shinidamachu actually went _into_ the well, and it _opened_ for them! I couldn't believe it. The well lit up with this pinkish purple light just as we got there. Shippou-chan must have known what Inuyasha was thinking, because he leapt into Inuyasha's arms just as Inuyasha jumped into the well. The light disappeared the second the two of them passed through, and Houshi-sama and I were left on the other side."

"My baby..." Kagome whispered, hardly daring to hope that this story might be going where she was hoping it was.

Squeezing her arm comfortingly, Seiko continued, "Inuyasha and Shippou-chan landed in this time on September 24th, 1997, seconds after _you_ had been pulled into the well for the very first time. Fortunately, one of Sesshoumaru's daughters, Nariko-chan, was watching over your family that day. She recognized Inuyasha from stories her parents had told and was able to get him and Shippou-chan out of the way before your family saw them."

"Shippou-chan is alive too," said Kagome, just to be sure. "My baby is alive."

"Yes, Kagome-chan, your baby is alive," Seiko said, brown eyes twinkling. "Probably a little worse for the wear after living with Inuyasha for two years, but alive and desperate to see you."

Kagome burst into tears. She couldn't help it. Seiko leaned over and wrapped her arms around the miko, embracing her tightly and murmuring words of comfort. But comfort wasn't really what Kagome wanted or needed; she was just completely overwhelmed by the knowledge that her family was still around. Nearly everyone that she had thought lost to her forever... Inuyasha and Shippou were still alive, and Sango had been reincarnated... Sniffing, she drew back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.

"W-what about Miroku-sama?" she asked, her voice shaky. "And Kirara?"

"Kirara has been living with Sesshoumaru's family for the past five hundred years," Seiko said, keeping an arm around Kagome's shoulders. "And don't worry, the pervert is around, too."

"Has he groped you yet?" Kagome asked, smiling weakly.

"Are you kidding? It was the first thing he did!"

Both girls broke into laughter. Kagome cleared her throat and said, "That's Miroku-sama for you. Is he... the same as you? Does he remember everything as well?"

Something darkened in Seiko's eyes, and she looked away for a split second. "Yes, he remembers. His name in this time is Koizumi Matsu-san, and his parents own a shrine here in Tokyo."

"I just can't believe it... Everyone is alive..." she said softly, deeply awed.

"When you say that, Kagome-chan, know that you do mean _everyone_," Seiko whispered.

There was only one person who could cause such a haunted look to cross Sango's – or Seiko's – face. A chill ran up her spine. Her lips moved, barely breathing the word. "Naraku...?"

"He's alive, too."

"Fuck." Kagome normally wasn't one for swearing, but this was one situation where she was willing to make an exception. Clenching her hands into fists, she gritted her teeth. On some level, Naraku being alive made a terrible kind of sense. Inuyasha had jumped into the well and come out in the future, so he hadn't been around to fight Naraku in the past. Without Inuyasha, their other friends wouldn't have been strong enough to deal the finishing blow. Had this war really been going on for over five hundred years now? It was a miracle the world was still standing. She remembered what Kikyou had said about shooting Naraku 'the next time she saw him' and felt sick to her stomach. "How could I have forgotten? She even warned me..."

"Who?" Seiko asked with interest.

"What? Oh, no one..." Kagome shook her head and shivered, though whether it was from fear or rage, she wasn't sure. "Kami-sama, I can't believe that bastard is fucking alive after all this time. Why won't he just _die_?"

"Life would certainly be easier if he'd do us all that favour," Seiko agreed, eyeing Kagome closely. "Kagome-chan, I wanted to explain to you why Inuyasha didn't want to tell you he was alive."

"Did he send you to make apologies for him?" The miko demanded, instantly irate.

"No! Well, yes, maybe a little. I agree that he deserved to be sat, but I also think that you deserve to know _why_. Truthfully, Inuyasha was just trying to protect you. When he arrived in the future and found out that Naraku was still around... In that final battle, when Inuyasha got poisoned, he _couldn't_ protect you." Seiko leaned back and smiled sympathetically. "He wanted to keep you away from the fight so that you would be safe. Once Naraku and the shikon no tama were gone, I think he would have told you the truth."

Kagome looked down at her hands and claws. "That makes sense... in a weird, Inuyasha kind of way. But doesn't he understand that this is my fight, too? I want to be there to help bring Naraku down. I _need_ to be there."

"I know. I think Inuyasha is starting to understand that, now. Just like I hope that you get that he never meant to hurt your feelings."

"Stupid hanyou," Kagome muttered, but she couldn't help feeling warmer inside. Groaning, she dropped her head into her hands. "How does he do it? Every time I get angry at him, there's always a reason why I should forgive him."

"Tell me about it," Seiko said, rolling her eyes. "Don't feel too bad, Kagome-chan. The first time I met him in this life, he told me to quote, 'turn around and fucking go home because I don't need the help of some weak human', unquote."

"He didn't!"

"Oh, yes he did. See, when my memories all snapped into place on that day, I knew I couldn't track you down until you were stuck in this time permanently, but at the time that was more than two years off. It would have messed up the past, which meant I had to find Inuyasha. Furthermore, Otou-san had heard rumours of a deadly hanyou that had been around for hundreds of years, one that could take the appearance of anyone. I knew it had to be Naraku." Her hand curled loosely into a fist. "I asked my parents about inu youkai and inu hanyou, and Otou-san told me about a great, thousand-year-old inu youkai that was apparently very rich and powerful. No taijiya had ever been able to get near him, and we had a tentative peace treaty with him. I figured it was probably Sesshoumaru, and I knew that if he was still alive, then he would have an idea of where Inuyasha was. So I learned where he lived and went to go see him..."

_ Seiko watched impassively as the large gates swung open, hand clenching nervously around the dagger hidden in the sleeves of her shirt. Many of the youkai and hanyou on the grounds turned to watch her progress with suspicious looks as she crossed the grass and mounted the steps of the mansion. Some of them jeered, but she ignored them, knowing that since she was there for a meeting with Sesshoumaru, none of them would dare touch her. Her heart was still pounding hard, but she kept her face calm as the doors opened and she was admitted into the front hall. After much negotiating, her father had managed to get her this meeting with the great inu youkai lord, but she would have only the one chance._

_ "This way," said a lizard youkai, watching her closely. His gaze lingered a second too long on the sword she wore strapped to her back – a safety precaution more than anything, but intimidating nevertheless. "Third floor, door at the end. Knock and wait for entrance."_

_ "Thank you," Seiko said politely, immediately climbing the stairs. The hall was dark and long, and she focused on keeping her footsteps measured as she walked. There was no need to give the youkai any more sign that she was nervous. It was obvious which doors belonged to her destination; Seiko approached and knocked gently on the ornate doors._

_ "Enter," came the cold command as the doors swung open._

_ Two steps brought her into a large, sparsely decorated room. She paused just inside the doors and looked carefully at the two of them as excitement pulsed through her body. Behind the desk right in front of her was a tall man with silvery hair and golden eyes – Sesshoumaru, who didn't look any different from the last time she'd seen him over five hundred years ago. Beside him was a slender, dark-haired woman with dark eyes; she wore a cheerful, welcoming smile that put Seiko at ease. Three more people stood in the shadows on the left side of the room, but Seiko couldn't make out who they were. It really _was_ him, though, and the woman beside him – she looked kind of familiar, too. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at her close perusal, and Seiko mentally winced, reminded of the fact that Sesshoumaru had hated Inuyasha in the past. But she had to try._

_ "Your father tells me you have requested this meeting, Taijiya. Explain yourself," Sesshoumaru ordered._

_ "I am looking for a member of my pack," Seiko said, bowing slightly. "I had thought that the great Sesshoumaru-sama might have an idea of where he was."_

_ "You are _human_," he said distastefully. "You have no pack."_

_ "Yes," she agreed, unsure of how else to respond to the comment. "I am human, but I_ do_ have a pack. But the man I am looking for... he is a hanyou."_

_ "What is his name?" asked the woman._

_ "Inuyasha."_

_ Both of them tensed at the name. "Why do you search for him?" Sesshoumaru asked. "Who are you?" Seiko couldn't help glancing at the hand that lay on the desk. Those poisonous, sharp claws could pierce her body in seconds. She repressed a shiver of fear, wishing that she had the Hiraikotsu with her, and tried to meet his eyes._

_ "Because we belong with him," she said honestly. "In this life, my name is Mori Seiko. But in another life, my name was Sango, and I am Inuyasha's Taijiya." The familiar title, one that she had been known by in Sengoku Jidai, rolled off of her lips, and the woman gasped._

_ "Sango-chan!" Out of the shadows hurtled a small, child-like form. Seiko jumped in surprise and just barely managed to get her arms out in time for Shippou to sprint into them. "You came back! I knew you would!"_

_ "S-Shippou-chan!" Seiko gasped, holding the kitsune up. The last time she'd seen the boy, he'd been in Inuyasha's arms as the two of them jumped into the well. She clasped him to her chest, holding onto him tightly. Shippou pressed his nose to Seiko's neck and sniffed loudly, then made a sound that was not unlike a kitten purring._

_ "Inuyasha, it's really her!"_

_ "Keh," said one of the people in the shadows. He moved forward just enough for Seiko to see that it really was him. "Turn around and fucking go home, kid. I don't need some weak human hanging around."_

_ "Weak... human...?" A vein in her forehead twitched, and she released her grip on Shippou, who grinned wickedly and moved up to her shoulder for safety. Completely ignoring Sesshoumaru and the woman, Seiko stomped over to Inuyasha – who had clearly not grown up at all in the past two years – and slapped him upside the head. "I'll show you who's a weak human! Just wait until Kagome-chan hears you say that. She'll sit you so hard..."_

_ "Ow! What the fuck was that for?" Inuyasha demanded, rubbing his head (even though the blow probably hadn't even hurt) and glaring at her. He could tell that she was Sango, and she knew it. Her scent was essentially the same except for a few minor differences, and her appearance was largely identical to the taijiya he'd known. "Fucking hell, is it so hard to understand that – "_

_ "That you're still just as stubborn and obnoxious as you were before?" Seiko asked wryly. "No, I get that perfectly. What you don't seem to understand is that I remember everything, and I'm not leaving. I doubt you've forgotten that I'm a part of your pack. You can't send me away, I belong here," she added smugly._

_ "Like hell you do! Go home, you – are you even listening to me?"_

_ Seiko wasn't. Her attention was centered on the cat youkai that had just leapt into her arms with a mewl of delight. "Kirara!" she cried, rubbing her cheek against the purring feline. "You're here, too. Oh, I've missed you so much."_

_ "Oi! Listen to me!"_

_ "You're hard to ignore when you're shouting in my ear," Seiko said crossly. _

_ Inuyasha sputtered for a minute. "Were you _always_ this annoying?"_

_ "Yes, you just had Kagome-chan around to act as a buffer."_

_ "Fucking hell... first you, and I bet the monk won't be far behind," he groaned, looking pained. Apparently, he realized the futility in arguing with her, because he said, "If you stay, don't you dare go near Kagome, you hear me?"_

_ "Fine," Seiko said curtly. "I already knew that I couldn't talk to her until the well seals her here permanently. It would mess up the timeline otherwise.." Gently, she stroked Kirara's fur in the way that the cat had always loved. Kirara purred loudly and Inuyasha glared at her, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "traitor" under his breath. Without saying another word to either of them, he whirled on his heel and stomped out of the room._

"He wouldn't speak to me for the next two days," Seiko concluded, smiling as Kagome tried to breathe through her laughter. "Then Matsu-san showed up, and the rest is history. He really didn't have a choice after that."

"Poor Inuyasha," Kagome gasped out, still chuckling under her breath. "You didn't have to be so mean."

"He deserved it, and besides, that's _nothing_ compared to the hell we gave him when he told us that he didn't want to tell you that he was alive," she said. "Of course, everyone knew that you would find out eventually... but still."

Kagome shook her head and smiled fondly. "I miss him so much," she confided.

"I know. He misses you, too."

"I think... I'm ready to go see him."

"Are you sure?"

Was she sure? Kagome looked out over the small park and contemplated the question seriously, because there would be no going back after this. The truth was, Inuyasha could be a real jerk sometimes, but that would never change the fact that she loved him more than life itself. He sometimes made misguided and poor decisions, but how could she really be angry when all he had wanted to do was to protect her? She sighed and, looking at Seiko, spoke the truth.

"I can't live without him."

"Then let's go." Seiko stood up and stretched, adjusting the grip of the sword on her back. She caught Kagome's questioning glance and said, "Sesshoumaru gave me a concealment charm to hide my weapons. Normal humans can't see them. Your miko powers are stronger than ever, Kagome-chan."

"I see." Wondering if he would give her one to hide both her hanyou self and her weapons, Kagome got to her feet as well and swayed a bit, feeling dizzy. She shook her head to get rid of the odd feeling and said, "Let's go see them."

Seiko nodded and started to leave, but was stopped by Kagome's hand on her shoulder. "Kagome-chan?"

"It's just... I know you're not Sango-chan, but it's so easy to believe that you are," Kagome said, blushing. "I always scolded Inuyasha for not being able to tell the difference between me and Kikyou, but..."

"Hey, this is completely different. For one thing, I actually remember everything about that life, and you didn't," Seiko told her. She rubbed her eyes and muffled a yawn. "If you want to call me Sango, that's okay."

"No, you're Seiko-chan, and I want to remember that," Kagome replied, smiling shyly in response to Seiko's wide eyes. Her heart ached to think that Sango and Miroku had died so long ago – she made a mental note to ask Seiko how it had happened someday – but here was a chance for them all to make a new life together. Her family was _alive_, and for once, they all belonged to the same time. She never wanted to forget that fact.

"Kagome-chan... I..." Seiko didn't get the chance to finish her sentence. Her voice trailed off and a peculiar look crossed her face. Suddenly, her eyes rolled up and she collapsed.

"Seiko-chan!" Kagome screamed, falling to her knees beside her friend. The world blurred and she gasped, holding a hand to her head. Belatedly, she noticed that the children and parents in the park around them had all fallen to the ground, and cursed herself for getting so caught up in Seiko's story that she hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings. She tried to make her muscles respond, wanting to grab Seiko and run to safety, but her body refused to answer. Black spots overtook her vision and she felt herself growing weaker, until she landed silently on the ground beside Seiko, unconscious.

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Please review!


	8. The New Moon

**A/N:** I had some questions about the last chapter (which I really hope was clear to everyone). To clarify any confusion, no, Inuyasha and the others do not know that Kagome is a hanyou. That will be addressed in the next chapter. In the meantime, I love this chapter. It's been haunting me since the beginning of this story. You're lucky I wrote it last Saturday, or you might not have gotten it at all... my kitty had to be put down this week and it was really hard. And now my internet is going in and out, so I had to rush to post it while I had the chance. Sheesh.

**Note:** in this chapter, Miho refers to Kagome as "Kagome-oba-san". For those who don't know what that means, she's just calling her "Aunt Kagome".

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Chapter 8: The New Moon

The mansion was dark and quiet by the time she finally made it to the gates, and she estimated that it must have been at least three or four in the morning – far too much time had passed. In spite of her panic, Seiko leaned heavily against the bars and forced herself to rest for a minute, watching the silent house. Her head was spinning, and the lack of light from above was only making things worse, but she didn't have time to sit around and wait. Grimacing, she fumbled with the cover to the alarm panel and managed to type in her personal code after about half a dozen tries. A door to the right of the gates swung open, allowing her entrance onto the property. Eyes from the guardhouse watched her progress onto the grounds, but clearly she must have been recognized, because no one approached her. She didn't care about them; her goal was to find Inuyasha as soon as possible.

It seemed to take forever to make the walk up the driveway to the house, and she was gasping for breath by the time she had made it to the front door. Her vision was flickering, and her arms and legs felt like dead weights. The thought of climbing all of those stairs and making it up to the private, hidden fourth floor, where the bedrooms were located, made her limbs tremble. Seiko fell to her knees as a wave of dizziness passed through her. Groaning faintly, she pressed the back of her hand to her eyes in an effort to make the spinning stop. She couldn't go another step.

"Inuyasha!" Seiko cried, dropping her hand to the ground and peering up the stairs. "INUYASHA!"

For about a minute, the silence lingered, and Seiko half-feared that maybe he'd chosen somewhere else to spend the night. But then she heard footsteps running in her direction, and the hanyou rounded the corner above her. Koizumi Matsu was right behind him. Inuyasha was dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a blue shirt, but his trademark silver hair, puppy ears, and golden eyes were missing, replaced by dark hair and violet eyes. As Inuyasha shot down the stairs towards her, face lined with annoyance and panic, Seiko realized that it was the night of the new moon, and a heavy fear began to curdle in her stomach.

"Seiko-san, what's wrong?" Matsu asked, kneeling down in front of her. He was wearing a pair of blue pyjamas, a sight that normally would have made Seiko laugh. But she was too upset to even really notice.

"Kagome-chan... Kagome-chan has been kidnapped," she wept, tears welling up in her eyes. Although she normally would have turned him away, she accepted the warmth of Matsu's hug gratefully. "We were sitting at the park, and he drugged us... When I woke up, she was gone..."

"That fucking bastard," Inuyasha swore, violet eyes blazing. He looked down at his human hands and cursed again. Naraku knew about his human night, and now he was trying to exploit it. How could he save Kagome when he couldn't even use his sense of smell to track her down, or the Tetsusaiga to defend her? "I'll fucking _kill him_ for this..."

Abruptly, he turned, practically flying back up the stairs. Matsu slid an arm around Seiko's waist and lifted her to her feet, supporting the majority of her weight. The two of them hurried as quickly as possible after the irate hanyou, chasing him all the way up to Sesshoumaru's office. Predictably, the inu youkai had heard the shouting and was waiting for them. His mate, Rin, was standing beside him, wearing a crimson robe over her nightgown. She gave a low cry of concern when she saw Seiko's condition and hurried forward, directing Matsu to place the girl on a low couch.

"Seiko-chan, are you okay?" Rin asked, hovering over her. "Would you like something to drink? Shall I call our doctor to attend to you?"

"I'm fine, Rin-san," Seiko assured her, resting against the back of the couch. "Once the world stops spinning..."

Matsu looked concerned. "I believe the drug hasn't quite worn off yet," he explained, sitting down beside the dazed Seiko. "Although it's been hours, so it should have... Seiko-san says that she and Kagome-san were talking in the park when the two of them were drugged. When she woke up, Kagome-san was missing. I can only think that it must be Naraku." His expression became grim, but his hands were gentle as he helped Seiko to lie down on the couch with her head in his lap.

"Sesshoumaru! Inuyasha!" Kouga picked that moment to explode into the room, Ayame on his heels. Bruises littered his face and arms, and his clothing was dirty and torn. He was holding a strange black box in his hands, which he thrust at Sesshoumaru. "Naraku's minions attacked Ayame and me. We took care of them easily, but right before the bastards fled, one of them threw this at Ayame and said that Naraku wanted us to deliver this to you."

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked, eyeing the box distrustfully. A gift from Naraku could not be a good thing.

Sesshoumaru took the box silently and looked it over, keen eyes examining every inch. It was small, fitting easily into the palm of his hand, and seamless. The only thing of note was a tiny white button on the underside. After making sure that the box did not look or smell dangerous, he pressed it. The box made a clicking sound as a small cover slid up on the face, revealing what looked like a camera lens. Light emerged from the lens and struck the wall, showing a projection of a large, shadowed room with two very familiar people in it. Inuyasha tensed, realizing that Naraku had sent them what was undoubtedly a live-action feed of Kagome and... Was that Miho?

"Miho!" Rin screamed, lurching to her feet. Her face went pale. "Oh my god!"

"Naraku..." Sesshoumaru hissed under his breath, golden eyes blazing with fury.

"Kagome..." whispered the hanyou, staring at the unconscious girls. Kagome hadn't moved since the projection turned on, but it seemed like Miho was waking up. The small group watched in terse silence as the girl opened her eyes, sat up, and whimpered when she realized where she was. When she saw Kagome beside her, she flung herself to her knees and called out to the girl desperately...

**IKIKIKIK**

"Oba-san. Kagome-oba-san! Oh, Kami-sama, please wake up."

The soft, frightened voice frantically calling her name pulled Kagome out of her deep sleep. She fought against the pull of the darkness to open her eyes and blinked, looking up at a distant, blurry ceiling. Slowly, the fact that a terrified child was beside her sank into her drugged mind, and she turned her head to see that Miho was kneeling beside her, face pressed into her hands, weeping and trembling all over. Kagome summoned her strength and whispered her name, causing Miho's head to snap up. Dark eyes peered down at Kagome before Miho whimpered and flung herself across Kagome's body. The miko flinched as a bony elbow jammed her in the chest but managed to put one arm around Miho in comfort.

"What happened?" she rasped.

"N-Naraku."

Miho was shaking so hard that she was only managed to get that one word out. It was enough. Kagome's blood ran cold and instantly, she snapped out of the fogginess that was making it so hard for her to concentrate. She pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around the windowless room that the two of them had been enclosed in. It looked like a normal, if somewhat large and barren, room, but there were thin bands of purple light running the length of the walls, and she suspected that no amount of raw, physical strength or miko power would help them to escape.

"Don't worry, Miho-chan," she said reassuringly, hoping that her calm words wouldn't betray the fear and rage swarming in her chest. It took her a moment to work out how to get up onto her knees when Miho was clinging to her so tightly. Her whole body, muscles and bones included, ached with a faint but deep pain. What the hell had Naraku given them? "Naraku won't hurt you as long as I'm here. I promise."

"That is an interesting promise to make, miko."

Stiffening at the voice, Kagome risked a glance over her shoulder. Standing at the opposite end of the room, shrouded in shadows, was a man that was very familiar to her. He was tall, with pale skin and aristocratic features. Long, dark curly hair was gathered in a high ponytail. Black, fathomless eyes assessed everything in an instant, and thin lips curled into a cruel smile. The expensive suit that Naraku was wearing did little to conceal how dangerous he was; five hundred years had obviously been kind to him, and he moved fluidly, approaching the two of them with a kind of cruel grace that made Kagome shudder as she yanked Miho behind her.

"Naraku," she hissed. "I should have known that someone like you would find a way to survive."

He smirked. "Such cruel words to the one who holds your fate in his hands. I certainly hope that you aren't planning to have your precious hanyou save you, being that it's the night of the new moon..."

A look of stark horror crossed Kagome's face, and her hands instinctively flew to her ears. Sure enough, she felt human ears beneath her hair. "Shit, shit, shit," she whispered to herself. At least now she knew why her body ached so much – it was likely a product of the transformation from hanyou to human. Here she'd been a little cocky, thinking that she had a secret plan to kick Naraku's ass... and she hadn't even been keeping track of the new moon! Kagome felt like kicking herself.

Naraku chuckled, clearly thinking that her reaction was due to Inuyasha. "Correct, miko. But don't worry. Even though Inuyasha isn't here, he'll still be able to see everything that happens to you." He twisted his body slightly and revealed what looked like a robotic version of the saimyousho, except that the large body of the wasp was made to look more like a camera. "I knew that he and Sesshoumaru would want to know every minute of what happened to you and the girl. Would you like to say anything to them? They're watching the two of you right now."

"Papa!" Miho cried, clutching Kagome's shirt with both hands. "Mama! Help us!"

"You..." Cold fury raced through Kagome, dissipating any and all fear when she heard Miho's plaintive cry. She could be angry at herself later, but right now, the_ real_ enemy was standing in front of her, smug and confident in his ability to hurt people. Taking a deep breath, she tried to assess the situation. Alright, she and Miho were in one of Naraku's buildings, no doubt with tons of minions, located god knows where. Her bow and arrows were nowhere in sight, she didn't have her hanyou powers, Miho was a wreck, and Naraku was coming towards them. Plus, it was the night of the new moon. There was no possible way that the situation could get any worse.

Thinking quickly, she grabbed Miho's hand and physically propelled the distraught child away from Naraku, running towards the other side of the room. The annoying robotic saimyousho followed their every minute, even when she tried to swat it away. If she could distract Naraku until the sun rose... maybe they would have a chance. Kagome groped instinctively for her shard of the shikon no tama, thinking that she could taunt Naraku with it, and realized that it was gone. Fuck, and now he had extra shards to power him up? She'd been wrong, the situation was now officially worse.

"What's the matter?" Naraku asked gleefully, making no effort to hide his amusement. "Not so eager to face me now that you know your death is imminent? Where is the show of bravo, Inuyasha's Miko?"

Kagome stopped running and stood frozen in place, nearly causing Miho to crash into her. Inuyasha's Miko. There had once been a time when being called that by youkai and humans alike had driven her crazy. She'd gone out of her way to insist that her name was KA-GO-ME, thank you very much. Now, it had been far too long since she'd heard that name. _Inuyasha's Miko_. Slowly, heart pounding so hard that it was all she could hear, Kagome turned around, rage and pain blazing in her brown eyes.

"If ever there was someone who deserved to die, it's you," she said coldly.

**IKIKIKIK**

Inuyasha was ready to jump out the window, regardless of the fact that as he was a human and on the third floor, it would have no doubt resulted in his death. He stared anxiously at the wall, only half aware of Sesshoumaru growling into the phone behind him. Rin stood beside him, face streaked with tears. Her fingers were clamped onto his arm so tightly that Inuyasha was beginning to lose feeling, but he didn't bother to tell her to let go. Matsu, Seiko, Shippou, Kouga, and Ayame were clustered around the couch, just as absorbed in what was happening on the screen as Inuyasha and Rin.

He felt his body tense with rage as Naraku openly taunted all of them. Miho was clearly terrified out of her mind. The thought of fighting back didn't even seem to occur to the girl; the only thing she appeared to be capable of was clinging fearfully to her aunt. Kagome was struggling not to show her fright, and when she turned and ran, he was thrilled to know that she had not lost her fighting spirit, even if the act was actually futile in such a confined space. That was, until she stopped running and turned around, and suddenly Inuyasha wasn't so glad. Because the look in Kagome's eyes was the same one that she got whenever he had _really _pissed her off. The one that meant he was about to be subdued a dozen times. The one that meant trouble.

"Uh oh," Matsu said behind him, clearly recognizing the look.

"What?" Ayame asked, looking confused.

"Shh," Inuyasha ordered. Kagome was speaking.

_"If ever there was someone who deserved to die, it's you."_

_Naraku laughed. "Such proud words... but have you the ability to back up your claim without your friends? I killed them once, you know. I could do it again." His eyes narrowed. "Did you never wonder how the monk and taijiya died? That curse was certainly effective, I must say. A truly horrifying death."_

_Kagome rocked backwards like he'd reached out and slapped her. Her strength seemed to waver and she looked close to collapsing. "The... Kazaana..." she whispered._

Seiko made a choked, keening sound. "K-Kagome-chan... I didn't want her to know."

_"And Inuyasha... I poisoned him, as I'm sure you remember. It was sheer luck that he survived. Do you think he would live through another dose? I have one right here. It could happen at any time..."_

_"No..." Kagome said softly, staring down at her hands. Human hands, for just one night, because of_ him_. Sheer rage boiled through her. She clenched them into fists so tight that her nails dug into her skin and looked up with determination shining in her eyes. "You really didn't know, did you?"_

_ "Know what?" Naraku inquired, stopping about three feet away from her. The room was growing darker, and a thick cloud of miasma hung in the air, surrounding the three of them. Neither Kagome nor Miho could run any further without going into the cloud and being poisoned. "Speak fast, miko. I begin to tire of this game. Your attempts to distract me until your hanyou arrives will not work. Inuyasha could never find this place, even if it wasn't the night of the new moon."_

_ "I saved Inuyasha's life," said Kagome simply, a grim smile playing around her lips. "_I'm_ the reason he survived that night. I guess you could call it luck, but most people would probably think of it as love."_

"What?" Inuyasha's violet eyes widened with confusion. Kagome had saved him? How?

_ "That's impossible," said Naraku, mirroring Inuyasha's thoughts perfectly. "You're just a human."_

_ "You can keep saying that, but it won't become any more true," Kagome mocked. "That's the thing about real love, Naraku. It surpasses everything." She gently placed her hand on top of Miho's head, causing the girl to look up at her. "There is no force in this world that could stop love, not even you."_

_ Clearly losing his patience with what he saw as a tacit to delay the inevitable, Naraku growled low in his throat. The lower half of his body began to shift, merging into several black tentacles. Miho screamed and nearly fainted when she saw the mass, but Kagome stood strong, her defiance unchanged in the face of Naraku's true form. Even when Naraku lashed out with a tentacle that very nearly slammed into the both of them, she grabbed Miho and dodged to the side without flinching. Miho stumbled and fell, and Kagome stood in front of her protectively._

_"You don't scare me anymore!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around herself. She could feel it. Her miko power was building, and the shikon no tama was calling out to her. "I've had it with you. For my friends..." Kikyou. Kaede. Sesshoumaru. Kouga. Rin and Ayame. Pink light began to glitter around Kagome's fingers. "For my family..." Inuyasha. Sango. Miroku. Shippou. Her eyes burned, turning an odd shade of pinkish gold. "For the countless innocent people that you have hurt over the years, I hope you_ burn in hell_!"_

The screen exploded in brilliant pink light, completely obscuring their sight into the room. Rin crumpled against Sesshoumaru, burying her face in his chest. Inuyasha lurched forward, hand closing compulsively around the handle of the Tetsusaiga, eyes searching frantically for any sign of Kagome. Matsu worked at comforting both a wailing Shippou and a deeply upset Seiko, his mouth set into a concerned frown. Kouga and Ayame exchanged worried looks. What would the screen show when the smoke finally cleared?

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Please review!


	9. Kagome's Seal

**A/N:** I had the hardest time starting this chapter. But then the power went out, and you know what, when you're bored, it's amazing how easily the words will come! I hope this chapter won't be a let-down after the last one… I had to go with what I felt was right for Kagome, after all. I just hope I properly explained how her seal works. Enjoy!

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Chapter 9: Kagome's Seal

Pain. That was the first thing Kagome was aware of. She found herself kneeling on the floor in the middle of a crater, with smoke billowing and parts of the building littered around her. Every inch, from her feet to her head, throbbed, and she clenched her teeth to contain a scream as she felt a pulse run through her body. Forcing her eyes open, she looked down at her hands and saw that as a second pulse raced through, her nails began to lengthen and harden into claws. Immediately, she realized what was going on: her hanyou powers were coming back! But why? The small hole in the ceiling told her that although the sky was beginning to lighten, the sun had not yet risen. There should have been another hour or so before her powers returned.

"What's going on?" she whispered, wincing when her throat ached at the feeling of a third pulse. Her puppy ears returned to the top of her head as her bones and muscles stretched, granting her the grace and power of a hanyou. The transformation over, Kagome found the strength to stand up slowly, and realized when she went to take a step that she felt strangely off balance. The feeling of emptiness in her chest was what made her grasp the source of the odd sensation; she had expended nearly all of her miko powers in the blast, and barely had enough power left to sense where the shards of the shikon no tama was.

In a flash, like lightening had struck, Kagome understood what must have happened. Inuyasha was a natural hanyou, and the seal of his youkai power was an external force: his Tetsusaiga. Kagome, who had gone through a battle to become a hanyou, worked differently. Her miko powers acted as her seal, and because she had none or very little power left, her hanyou powers had returned, even though it was the night of the new moon. Her body was forever going to be a constant balancing act, with the youkai and miko sides constantly at war. No wonder her miko power had been so strong that night; with the youkai blood having been pushed back by the new moon, her miko side had flourished.

"Shit," Kagome mumbled, knowing that the night of the new moon would be extremely painful from here on out, when her two sides raged against each other until the balance was forged anew with the sunrise. In the future, she would have no choice but to be more cautious in how much miko power she used. What would have happened if she had _been_ a hanyou when all of her miko power was gone? She shuddered at the thought of herself as a full youkai.

"Oba-san!" a weak voice cried, interrupting her thoughts.

"Miho-chan!" Reminded of the fact that she was not alone, Kagome looked around wildly. Her hanyou eyes had a much easier time seeing through the smoke and dust and lingering miasma, and she spotted Miho not too far away, lying on the ground to the left of the crater. She crawled out of the crater and knelt at Miho's side, looking the younger girl over. "Are you hurt?"

"Not too badly," Miho said, leaning heavily against Kagome and wincing. "It's just… my right ankle hurts a lot."

Concerned, Kagome lifted the girl into her lap and peered down at Miho's ankle, which was already badly swollen. Miho's hanyou abilities had no doubt been hampered by the blast of miko energy, and with no way of knowing whether or not the ankle was broken, she didn't want to take any chances. Gently, she set Miho back on the ground and turned, presenting her back to the child. "Here, Miho-chan, do you think you can ride on my back without it hurting too much?"

"I… I think so." Small hands wound around Kagome's neck as Miho shuffled closer and spread her legs, allowing her to rest her full weight against Kagome's back. Kagome was careful to grip Miho's thighs and knees tightly as she stood up, noticing as she moved that the girl was so light that Kagome barely noticed her presence.

"Alright?" she asked anxiously, taking a couple of test steps.

"Uh-huh. Oba-san, why do you have puppy ears like me?"

Kagome stumbled. "Er..."

"And why do you smell like Inuyasha-oji-san?"

"Um... That is... You see..." Kagome fumbled with her answer, blushing faintly and inwardly swearing at herself for not thinking about her bandanna. "M-Miho-chan, I don't think we have time to chat right now, okay? Let's focus on getting out of here first," she suggested. "Just make sure you hang on to me tightly, and whatever you do, don't let go and don't _say_ anything. Listen hard, and if you hear anyone coming, just tap me on the shoulder to let me know."

"Okay," Miho said obediently.

The smoke had cleared enough for Kagome to be able to see the rest of the room without any problems. On the opposite from the two of them was Naraku, unconscious and missing half of his tentacles. On the ground in front of him were over a dozen glimmering shards of the shikon no tama, each shining a beautiful shade of pale pink – purified, no doubt, by the blast that had knocked Naraku out. Kagome considered her options, knowing that the smart thing to do was to just leave. Protecting Miho should have been her number one priority, after all. But she just couldn't bring herself to leave the shards behind. Her family had lived and died for those shards... Naraku didn't deserve to have them. Her heart hardening in resolve, Kagome crept closer to him. Miho's hands flexed nervously on her shoulders, but the girl remained silent.

Naraku didn't move as Kagome reached the shards and knelt, setting Miho down so that she could begin picking them up. Each shard made a soft chiming sound as she touched it and she winced, knowing that she had to hurry lest the sound awaken Naraku. At last, she held all of the shards in the palm of her hand... and that's when she realized that she didn't have pockets. But Miho did. Quickly, she twisted and dropped the shards into the pocket of Miho's jeans, knowing that they would be safe there. As she moved, her foot struck a piece of metal and sent it sliding across the floor, where it fell into the crater with a loud clang. A faint groan emerged from Naraku as the sound caused him to begin to stir.

Kagome never hesitated. She scooped Miho up in her arms and made a dive for the hole in the right wall that now existed, which lead out into a hallway, instead of outside as Kagome might have hoped. Blindly, she turned right and ran down the hall, hoping that the two of them wouldn't meet a youkai. The building appeared to be largely empty, which was unusual for Naraku. Normally he had plenty of minions waiting around to do his bidding, but Kagome didn't see, smell, or hear a single youkai as the two of them made their way down a flight of stairs. Had her power been enough to purify them all? But then why had Naraku survived?

"Oba-san, stop. I think I smell something," Miho whispered suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Kagome paused, her ears immediately pricked for danger. Behind her, she heard Miho take a deep, slow breath and then make a sound that was not unlike a purr of contentment. Puzzled, she closed her eyes and did the same. The scent of… of pine, of flowers and rain and fresh air flooded her nose, making her sneeze. Miho giggled, and Kagome glanced over her shoulder to see the girl looking at her with dark eyes that shone. A hesitant smile formed on Kagome's lips in return, hiding the way her heart had wrenched. With her dark eyes and silver hair, Miho could have been the daughter of herself and Inuyasha. A determined feeling stole over Kagome at that moment. Naraku would never get the chance to hurt this child. Not as long as she had anything to say about it.

A low whirring caught distracted her from the tantalizing smell of freedom and she glanced up. To her astonishment, that robotic saimyousho was hovering right in front of them, buzzing softly. Kagome just blinked at it for a second, too surprised to react. Inuyasha… was he really watching her through that screen, or was that just a perverted trick of Naraku's? Instinct took hold and she darted forward. The saimyousho buzzed loudly in alarm and tried to flee, but even with Miho on her back she was too fast for it, and she was able to catch it easily.

"Crush it, Oba-san," Miho said, glaring at the robot. She seemed to have reigned in her fear now that Naraku was no longer around. Her small, razor-sharp claws flexed into Kagome's shoulders as she shifted. "I bet he's watching us through it. We'll never get away as long as that thing is following us!"

"I didn't think of that," Kagome admitted, holding the little robot with two fingers. She held it up and peered into the lens, wondering who was on the other side. It would make sense that this was a way for Naraku to trace them. But if Kagome had learned anything during her time in the past, it was how twisted and cruel Naraku loved to be. "Inuyasha," she said impulsively. "Inuyasha, if you can see this… Wait for me, okay? We're coming."

Then, letting Miho's legs swing free for a moment, she crushed the robotic saimyousho between her hands. The creature made a pathetic whirring sound as it died, wings fluttering pathetically. Kagome dropped it on the ground and stomped on it a few times to make sure that it was dead to the point that it couldn't follow them. Knowing Naraku, it probably _was_ a way to trace them as well… and even if it wasn't, Kagome didn't want Inuyasha or any of her friends to see what was going to happen next. Not when she didn't know if she and Miho would make it out of here in one piece. She took hold of Miho's legs and pulled the girl more tightly against her.

"Let's get out of here," she said quietly. "I'll walk and you lead me in the direction you think is the way out. You have a lot more experience with this."

Miho took another deep breath and then pointed to the left. Kagome set off in what was hopefully the right direction, trying to keep her footsteps as quiet as possible. Either Naraku hadn't awoken after all, or he'd reconsidered the intelligence of chasing after a pissed miko who had just kicked his ass, because after about five minutes of manoeuvring through the downstairs of the building, they made it outside. The escape posed a new problem, though: the building was in the middle of nowhere, literally. All Kagome could see were trees, trees, and more trees. Suddenly, the smell of pine and fresh air wasn't _quite_ so helpful.

"Which way do you think we should go? I can't smell anything," said Miho. "Maybe if you jumped up high enough, we could see which way we should go?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Kagome answered, who didn't quite trust her hanyou muscles that much yet to go leaping through the sky like Inuyasha did. She considered scaling a tree, but that would mean leaving Miho on the ground by herself, and that didn't sound like a good plan. After some thought, she finally set off in a random direction, figuring that any place that wasn't with Naraku had to be better than where they currently were.

The night air was cold, and Kagome found herself growing tired after about an hour of steady walking. Miho was napping on her back, and Kagome wished she dared stop long enough to do the same. No, actually, she wished that Inuyasha were around so that he could kick Naraku's ass once and for all, and then she could sleep in his arms. Yes, that would certainly be the best case scenario. Kagome smiled dreamily to herself and was completely shocked when she felt cold water around her feet. Startled, she glanced down and realized that she'd walked straight into a stream without paying attention.

"Fantastic," she muttered. Then she realized that she actually recognized the stream, and her face lit with joy. "Fantastic," she whispered with more enthusiasm. On a trip with Inuyasha and her friends back in Sengoku Jidai, they had slept for a night on the edge of the Nakamoshi River, which was on the outskirts of what would eventually be Kagome's town. There had been a small stream that came down off of Mt. Fuji, which fed the river. Kagome recognized the herbs and plants growing along the stream, which she'd used 500 years ago to heal a particularly nasty wound of Miroku's. Amazed, Kagome looked over her shoulder. Mt. Fuji rose up behind her, which meant her town was somewhere in front of her.

"I'm standing close to where we were five hundred years ago," she said out loud. This was where she'd tended Miroku, where Sango had gotten so angry because he'd been hurt saving her, where Shippou and Inuyasha had been fighting over the last container of ramen… Kagome blinked back tears at the sudden swell of homesickness and started running. Within a couple of steps, her shoes slipped on the river polished stones and she stumbled, nearly sending both her and Miho into the water.

"This isn't going to work," she muttered. Carefully, trying her best not to awaken Miho, she slipped off her sopping socks and shoes, deciding that it was better to be barefoot than to risk blisters. She took off a second time, but because she wasn't used to being outside with no shoes on, her feet began to ache, which quickly progressed into true pain whenever she stepped on a twig or particularly sharp stone. Kagome ignored the pain, keeping her eyes on the widening part of the stream. The only thought in her mind was of seeing Inuyasha, and she would have gladly suffered any pain to be with him.

The motion of running awoke Miho, who yawned and sleepily said, "Oba-san, where are we?"

"We'll be coming up on the city soon," said Kagome, breathing heavily.

"Really? Stop for a minute, Kagome-oba-san."

"Why?" Kagome slowed, take the time for a brief rest. Miho wriggled on her back, using one hand to pull something out from underneath her shirt. She held it forward to show Kagome. It looked like a small white fang strung on a black chord, but when Miho flipped it over, she revealed that there was a flashing red light in the back. Frowning, Kagome shifted Miho's weight, which didn't feel quite so light anymore, and asked curiously, "What does it do?"

"Papa gave one to all of us," said Miho, closing her fingers around the fang. "It's kind of a tracking device that will tell him where we are. He's coming, I can feel it."

"What?" Kagome cried, practically dropping the girl in her surprise. "Do you mean to tell me that Sesshoumaru could have found us all along?"

"No. Naraku has developed a barrier of some kind that prevents the tracking mechanism from working properly. Papa's been trying to find a way around it for years," Miho explained. "I knew that if we could get far enough away, it would activate. We should be meeting up with Papa and some of his people soon."

"I hope so," the miko muttered. "Put it back under your shirt, okay? We'll keep going just in case."

The woods were beginning to grow less dense by that point as the stream gradually widened. Hanyou strength and speed were definitely an advantage, Kagome thought. But even so, she just couldn't run anymore. Each step felt like she was walking on broken glass or knives instead of dirt and grass. Every so often, she would stumble from exhaustion, and she always felt Miho flinch against her back at the same time, meaning she'd accidentally jostled the younger girl's swollen ankle. Kagome squeezed her tired eyes shut and then opened them wide. At least the sun had finally risen. The night of the new moon was over, and Kagome knew that if Sesshoumaru and his men didn't find them, Inuyasha definitely would.

"I just have to keep telling myself that," she muttered, reaching the end of the stream, where it became a part of the Nakamoshi River. It was a most welcome sight. Kagome emerged from the trees and began to trudge along the riverbanks, silently swearing that she was going to buy a cell phone the second she got back to the city. What she wouldn't have given for the chance to call a cab! She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't even notice the log sticking out of the river until she'd tripped over it.

"Ouch!" Miho whimpered.

"Shit, Miho-chan, I'm sorry," Kagome groaned, carefully re-adjusting her grip. "I'm having a hard time concentrating. I think we need to – " She stopped suddenly. Her nose twitched and she sneezed violently as new scents wafted past her. Where was_ that_ coming from? It was the scent of… cold. Frost, and stone and… leather? But something else, too. Kagome frowned uncertainly. Fluff?

"Look!" Miho yelped suddenly.

Kagome looked up and grew tense when she saw what appeared to be a cloud of dust barrelling towards them. Then she relaxed, belatedly realizing that the "dust cloud" was actually Sesshoumaru, sprinting towards them at top speed in his full dog youkai form. She didn't even get a chance to say anything to him. He transformed back into his normal form, swept Miho out of her grasp, and turned away as Miho clung to him. Bemused and a little touched, Kagome tried not to stare openly, but that was difficult. The only person she'd ever seen Sesshoumaru show so much affection for was the little girl who followed him, Rin. To see him act that way towards his daughter was so heart-warming that she couldn't help smiling at the two of them.

"Kagome!"

Her heart stopped. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut. Had that really been…? She turned slowly and several other men bounding towards her with _him_ in the lead, his silver hair blowing in the wind. He looked frantic, which told Kagome that Naraku had been telling the truth about the saimyousho. She really should have given the bastard a kick upside the head while he was unconscious. Inuyasha landed about five feet away, dispelling all thoughts of Naraku when his scent reached her. Pine… salt… spice… oh Kami-sama. _Home_.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. She stumbled towards him, her feet finally giving out beneath her. Inuyasha caught her, bringing her into the circle of his arms.

"Kagome, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Inuyasha asked frantically.

She managed to shake her head. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry," she got out, tears sliding down her cheek. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… I don't… I_ love_ you, Inuyasha. I love you." Kagome clung to him, pressing her face into his shoulder.

"Shh, Kagome," he said gently, smoothing her hair. He must have noticed the ears, but he didn't mention them. "It's alright. I'm here."

She sobbed once in response and dimly felt Inuyasha slide his arm beneath her knees and scoop her up into his arms as quiet voices asked him about the state of her health. He responded negatively in a low voice, but she kept her face buried in his shoulder, not bothering to confirm or deny his suspicions. Kagome was so exhausted, so frightened, and so tired that right then, she didn't need or want anyone else but Inuyasha.

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Please review!


	10. I Just Wanna Be With You

**A/N:** Another Friday, another chapter. You might find this one kind of slow after the action of the last two, but don't worry, it won't stay that way for too long. I'm really trying to represent Kagome's mother in a different way than most people do, but I hope I'm not going _too_ far with it. Oh, well. Please enjoy the chapter!

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Chapter 10: I Just Wanna Be With You

To get up, or not to get up? That was the question that Kagome had been lying awake debating for the past fifteen minutes. She was trying to decide whether she felt well enough to get up and deal with the aftermath of everything that had happened, and had just decided that she'd rather go back to sleep and put it off for a few more hours when the door cracked open. Her body tensed and she listened hard, wishing that she was facing the entrance as light footsteps approached her bed. Quickly, she pushed the covers down and sat up, finding herself face to face with a boy.

He was young, probably even younger than Souta, with dark hair and eyes that immediately welled up with tears when he saw that she was awake. Almost shyly, he plucked at his damp shirt and came closer to the bed, giving her an imploring look. Kagome frowned, wondering if this was another child of Sesshoumaru, and was about to ask him a question when his scent finally registered. Wood, and damp fur, and... candy? Specifically, strawberry pocky. Her eyes widened.

"S... Shippou-chan?" she breathed.

The boy sniffed and reached for the necklace he wore around his neck. One quick jerk and her adorable kitsune was staring up at her. "Kagome! Mama!" he wailed, flinging himself off of the floor and into her arms. "It's been so long since I saw you an' Papa was tryin' to keep me from seein' you an' I said I couldn't take it anymore an' Seiko-chan said it was okay an'..."

"Shh, Shippou-chan, it's alright," Kagome soothed, unable to keep her own tears from misting over. She cuddled the boy against her body and gently brushed her fingers through his russet hair. "Oh, my baby, I've missed you _so_ much."

Shippou cried into her shirt for a long time, his fists wound into her shirt and hair as he clung to her with all of his strength. Kagome whispered to him and rocked him and lost count of how many times she thanked Kami-sama for the fact that the boy she had come to think of as her own was still alive. And he'd even called her "mama"! She felt tears slipping down her cheeks again and ducked her head, brushing her damp cheek against the top of Shippou's head.

"It's okay. I promise I won't leave you ever again," she said into his hair, knowing that her promise would actually come true now that she was a hanyou.

"You smell like Papa," he mumbled into her shirt.

"You call Inuyasha 'Papa'?" Kagome inquired, a bit bemused. She had always thought that Inuyasha would make a wonderful father, but she'd often wondered if the hanyou would ever be able to act in that way for Shippou, who had taken great pleasure in annoying Inuyasha to no end. The thought that Inuyasha had found it in him to step up was almost enough to make her cry all over again, but she reined it in when Shippou glanced up at her and nodded.

"He took care of me after you... well, left," he said quietly. "I didn't know what would happen to me, but Inuyasha said I was stupid 'cause I'd always have a place with them and that hadn't changed just because you'd left for a little while. When we came to the future, Sesshoumaru made it 'official."

"That sounds like Inuyasha," Kagome remarked, planting a kiss on his forehead. Her heart was singing with a joy that she'd never before experienced. Even though she'd thought of Shippou as her child when she was a human, that feeling seemed to be magnified by a thousand now that she was a hanyou. Love swelled within her heart every time she looked at him, and the desire to keep him healthy, happy and safe was raging through her soul. She closed her eyes briefly, wondering if this was the sort of feeling that Inuyasha had been possessed by whenever a fight was going on... a feeling that, to keep her family safe, there was nothing that she could not do.

"Mama..." Shippou began and then paused, faltering.

"You can call me that, Shippou-chan. I don't mind," Kagome assured him, opening her eyes.

"They're waiting for you," he said, offering her a shy smile. "Downstairs."

"Oh. I guess that means I should get up, hmm?" She scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching her arms over her head. Shippou hopped onto the bed as she walked across the small room to the adjacent bathroom. Someone – she hoped Seiko – had bathed her and changed her into a pair of pink pyjamas while she was unconscious, so she didn't feel the need to take a shower, but her hair was a mess and her mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. While Shippou waited patiently outside the door, Kagome washed her face and hands, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair, noticing as she did that there was a dark blue sundress hanging on the back of the door and a pair of white sandals sitting on the floor. Unsurprisingly, both fit her perfectly.

"Are you ready?" Shippou called out curiously, tapping on the door with his claws.

She opened the door by way of answer, still smoothing down the front of the dress, and held her hands out to Shippou so that he could climb back onto her shoulder. Then Kagome ventured out into the dark hallway and began following Shippou's directions to turn right and head down the first staircase that she came to. Most of the youkai workers that Kagome passed just ignored her presence, and she was grateful for that. Without her bow and arrows, which she hadn't seen since Naraku had kidnapped them, she felt naked. The memory of her weapon made her realize that her miko power had mostly regenerated during her long sleep.

"Down there, Mama," said a little voice in her ear, interrupting her thoughts, and Kagome glanced up, spotting another staircase at the end of the corridor she had been walking down. Her eyes widened as she reached the end of the hallway and for a moment, she stood still at the top of the stairs, staring in outright amazement.

The staircase led down to a large common area, and everyone she cared the most about was there. Kouga and Ayame were seated on a couch together on the far side of the room. A little girl Kagome didn't recognize was sitting on Kouga's lap, deep in conversation with... was that _Souta_? Sesshoumaru, Miho, a boy who resembled Miho, and a dark-haired woman were clustered around a desk to the right. Inuyasha and Kimiko were standing side by side a short distance away, although neither one of them were speaking. Kagome's grandfather was talking to a boy who bore a remarkable resemblance to Miroku, and Seiko, who was standing off to the side looking bored. Seiko held Kirara in her arms and absently stroked the cat youkai as she glanced around the room.

Kagome disregarded the others for the moment as she gazed at Seiko and... her memory scrambled to recall the name for Miroku's reincarnation. Matsu, was it? Both of them looked so much like Miroku and Sango that for a split second, it was like the past and present had blended together and all of her deepest wishes had been granted. Her eyes filled with tears. Sango and Miroku had been her close, dear friends in the past, and as a hanyou, she could feel the youkai side of her registering them as "pack". She breathed in slowly as a single tear escaped, and her hanyou side, having been battling with loneliness for several weeks, surged in need for her pack, forcing her to take a step forward.

Matsu glanced up at that moment and caught sight of her. His violet eyes lit up. "Kagome-san!"

That did it. As all conversation in the room stopped, Kagome put her hand on the rail and hurried down the staircase, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Onee-chan, Onii-san!" she cried, flinging herself forward. Both Seiko and Matsu looked shocked as she threw an arm around each of them, but recovered enough to embrace her in return.

"Kagome-chan, thank Kami-sama you're safe," Seiko said in a choked voice.

"We were worried about you," Matsu added. Surprisingly, he didn't even try to grope her, but kept his hands above her waist. Whether that was because Seiko and Inuyasha were watching or from the emotion of the moment, Kagome wasn't sure. She smiled into his shoulder as he said, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Kagome said softly, pulling back reluctantly when she registered that something hard was pressing into her hip, where Matsu's right hand was. Puzzled, she glanced down, and was horrified to see the familiar beads wrapped around his palm, which was covered by a glove. Instantly, her mind flashed back to Naraku's threat, and a sick feeling engulfed her as she grabbed his hand. The world tilted dangerously as she got a better look at the glove he was wearing. "No..."

"Kagome-san..."

"No." Shocked, Kagome dropped his hand and backed away, bringing her hands up to her mouth. She could barely force the question out of her mouth. "The... Kazaana...?"

Matsu nodded, his right hand clenching into a fist. "It reappeared when I regained all of my memories."

_Why _hadn't she killed Naraku when she'd had the chance? "O... Onii-san..." she whispered.

"It's alright, Kagome-san," he said, giving her a faint smile. "I'm certain that this time things will be different."

Before Kagome could think of anything else to say anything to him, a hand tugged on her skirt, and she glanced down to see Miho standing beside her as Matsu took the opportunity to slip away into the crowd. The younger girl smiled cheerfully and held up her clenched hands, indicating that she wanted to give something to Kagome. Frowning, Kagome held her hands out and gasped when Miho opened hers, allowing several glittering pink shards to fall into Kagome's cupped hands. Shards of the shikon no tama! She'd nearly forgotten that she had stolen them from Naraku.

"I kept them safe you, Oba-san," said Miho. "Just like you protected me. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Miho-chan," Kagome said dazedly, looking at the shards. If combined into one shard, she could tell that it would have been bigger than the one Naraku had stolen.

"Here, Kagome-chan," Seiko said, holding out a small glass container that was not unlike the one Kagome had once worn at the beginning of their adventure. She helped Kagome to pour the shards inside and then pressed the lid on before handing it to her friend. "Put it around your neck."

"Thank you, Onee... um, Seiko-chan," she mumbled, accepting the necklace. She held it over her head and lowered it, then pulled her hair out from beneath the cord. They would have to talk more about the Kazaana and the fate that Sango and Miroku had met at a later time, because she could tell that it still haunted Seiko, but that wasn't really a topic to be discussed in front of so many people, who were all waiting for the chance to see her. Like her mother, who had been eyeing Kagome since she stepped into the room. Kagome swallowed hard, knowing that a battle awaited her there.

"Nee-chan!" Souta ambushed her first, throwing his arms around her waist. Excitedly, he took her hand and dragged her over to Kouga and Ayame. Kagome followed willingly, happy to put off the confrontation for a few more minutes. "This is Kobayashi Megumi-chan. She's in my class."

"She is?" Kagome looked at Ayame curiously.

"It was the easiest way to keep him under surveillance," the wolf youkai muttered, too low for Souta to hear.

"Hello, Kagome-sama," Megumi said. She was a slender child, a few inches shorter than Souta, with a shock of red hair and Kouga's bright blue eyes. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Megumi-chan," said Kagome. "Kouga-kun."

"Kagome." Kouga smiled at her, looking relieved. "I'm glad to see you looking so cheerful."

"I understand that's because of you," she said, resting her hand on Kouga's arm. "Thank you, Kouga-kun, for figuring out a way to tell me the truth. I was... really suffering."

Kouga nodded. "I know."

"Nee-chan, are you really okay?" Souta asked, looking up at her. "Inuyasha-nii-san said that you were in an accident."

"I'm fine, Souta." Just because he hated it, she messed up his hair, grinning when he protested loudly and swatted her hands away. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Mama was," he said, giving her a meaningful look. Kagome grimaced and nodded in return. "She was really worried. You should go say hello to her, Nee-chan."

"I'll do that." Grateful that he'd given her an opening to slip away without being rude, Kagome patted his head once more, said her good-byes to Kouga, Ayame and Megumi, and walked over to her mother, studying the woman as she approached. Kimiko's face was pale and there were dark circles under her brown eyes, but that did little to dispel the severity of her expression as she turned, stepping away from Inuyasha in order to meet her daughter. Kagome could just imagine how she would have reacted to the news that Inuyasha was alive and Kagome was still getting caught up in his adventures. She took a deep breath and said, "Hello, Mama."

"Kagome," Kimiko said shortly. "I'd like to speak to you alone, if you don't mind."

"There is a little room through that door that you can use," said the woman who was standing beside Sesshoumaru. Kimiko walked through the door immediately, but Kagome paused and frowned, realizing for a second time that something about the woman's face looked familiar. The woman smiled at Kagome and winked. "Kagome-onee-sama, don't you recognize me? It's me, Rin."

"Rin-chan?" Kagome's jaw dropped, and for a moment, she was so surprised she didn't know what to say. She studied the long, dark hair and the sparkling brown eyes, trying to compare it to that little girl who had followed Sesshoumaru around. Her eyes fell onto Miho, and she nearly shook her head at herself. How had she failed to notice that Miho looked exactly like a hanyou version of a young Rin? "Oh my god, Rin-chan. It _is_ you!"

Rin laughed. "We'll talk after you speak to your mother."

"Sure," Kagome said, still shocked. She followed Kimiko into the little room and closed the door, though she doubted that would prevent the hanyou and youkai in the other room from hearing. It was dark in the room, but as she fumbled for the light switch, she thought that she could make out Kimiko standing near the window. "Mama, what's wrong?"

"I want it to stop, Kagome."

"You want what to stop?" she asked, finally locating the switch and flipping the lights on. The severity of her mother's expression stopped her cold.

"Don't you know how worried we were?" Kimiko demanded, eyes blazing. "You walked out of the house without even introducing me to that girl, who you just called 'onee-chan'! And that boy you call 'onii-san', we have no idea who he is, either!" She glared at Kagome, looking deeply upset. "You didn't come home, and I waited up all night worrying about you. I had to hear about the danger you'd put yourself in from some random stranger, who insisted that we had to come along if I wanted the chance to see you! My own daughter! It's outrageous, and I don't want you to do this anymore, Kagome. It's far too dangerous."

"Mama... I'm sorry that you're upset," Kagome said slowly. "Seiko-chan and Matsu-san are the reincarnations of some dear friends of mine. They've always treated me like a little sister, and I can't help seeing them as my brother and sister. That's only become even more true now that I'm a hanyou. I feel it in my heart, and I can't control that. I'd be happy to introduce you to them if that would help. And I'm sorry that you were so upset. That wasn't my intention. I didn't know what was going to happen."

"But the point is, it happened anyway," said her mother wearily. "You could have been killed, and I wouldn't have known. Kagome, I'm worried about you. Can't you understand that?" Kimiko crossed the room and pressed her hand against Kagome's cheek. "I regret the fact that I never pressed you to tell me more about your trips through the well. I never understood just how much danger you willingly put yourself in until you came home looking like this. And the stories that I've been hearing..." She shook her head. "Now that I know, I don't want you to do it anymore. I want you to stay away from these people. It's for your own safety."

Kagome stared at her. "Are you... trying to tell me that you want me to stay away from Inuyasha?"

"_Especially_ Inuyasha," Kimiko answered firmly. "As your mother, I have to think about what's best for you, and if this is the only way to keep you safe, so be it."

"You can't keep me from him," said Kagome. "You can't!"

"I'm your mother, and if I say that you are no longer allowed to see him, then you will follow my orders," Kimiko snapped. "Kagome, don't you understand how much danger you're putting yourself in? I won't have it. You've already become a hanyou, and when I think about what that means for your future... I won't let you hurt yourself anymore!"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Kagome whispered, realizing that her hands were shaking.

"I know it will be upsetting at first, but you'll move on. Your friends from school have been very concerned about you, and that nice Hojo-kun was around the shrine asking questions just the other day," her mother said. "It won't be very long before you'll have forgotten all about Inuyasha and those... people."

That did it. Kagome laughed. Or maybe she was crying. It was hard to tell. "You really think I'm going to listen to you, don't you?" she asked once she had caught her breath. "Mama, don't do this. Don't make me choose between you and Inuyasha. You can't win."

"Kagome!" Kimiko began, her eyes flashing. The door opened, cutting off anything else that she might have said, and Kagome turned to see that her grandfather had stepped into the room.

"Kagome, I need to have a word with your mother," he said, his expression unusually serious.

"Okay, Jii-chan," Kagome nodded, trying to keep herself under control. She looked at her mother and made one last attempt to soothe things over. "Mama... Please try to understand. This is my _family_ you're talking about. I have to be with them. I know that you're worried about me, and believe me when I say that I'm sorry that I scared you, but even if I wasn't a hanyou, you couldn't keep me away from them. This is where I belong."

Kimiko looked like she was about to say something else, but Kagome didn't give her the chance. She walked straight past her grandfather and closed the door behind her, even though – as she had predicted – it did nothing to stop the sound of arguing voices from coming straight through. All of her friends were trying to look like they weren't paying attention to her sudden reappearance, except for one. Kagome searched the room and found a set of familiar golden eyes looking at her from across the room. With a forced amount of casualness, she crossed the room to stand in front of him.

"Inuyasha, I..."

"Kagome," he said, cutting her off before she could finish. Inuyasha looked distinctly uncomfortable. "You don't have to... if this will cause problems between you and your mother... I don't want to put you in danger."

Her heart melted. Without a word, Kagome closed her eyes to hold back her tears and reached out, wrapping her arms around his body. Inuyasha stuttered to a stop, shocked by her actions, as she spoke. "You stupid hanyou," she said into his shirt. "All I've ever wanted is to be with you, Inuyasha."

"Kagome... is that why you..." His hands gripped her arms loosely. "Why are you a hanyou?"

Kagome drew back and looked up into his face, feeling a rush of love that left her breathless. "When Naraku poisoned you, Myoga-jiji found us. There was no way he could suck out so much poison, so he told me about this ritual that could save your life," she said finally. "The poison only affected your youkai blood, and he suggested that if you had more human blood in your body, you might survive. I took your poisoned blood and gave you mine." She smiled tiredly. "You survived, and your blood ended up turning me into a hanyou."

Golden eyes grew wide and for a moment, Inuyasha appeared to be too dumbfounded to speak. "Kagome, that could have _killed_ you! Are you crazy? How could you do something so dangerous?"

"You were dying. I would have done _anything_ to save your life," Kagome said honestly, pressing a hand against her chest. "It didn't matter what happened to me as long as you survived. The thought of living in a world where there was no Inuyasha was unbearable. I don't care about being a hanyou, Inuyasha. Actually, when I thought that you were dead, what kept me going was the knowledge that as long as your blood ran through my veins, you were still with me."

Inuyasha just stared at her, looking too stunned to say anything. That was fine with Kagome. She touched the shards of the shikon no tama at her throat and stepped closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. After a moment, she felt his arms wrap around her body, clutching her to his chest so tightly that it hurt. At that instant, she knew for certain: it didn't even matter what happened between her mother and her grandfather. As much as it would hurt to cut herself off from her mother, she would gladly do it if it meant that she could keep Inuyasha and the rest of her pack in her life.

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Please review!


	11. My New Life

**A/N:** Another day, another chapter. I estimate that this story will probably have around 20 chapters, but it could be a bit more or a bit less, so we're about halfway through. I hope that everyone is enjoying it. Don't forget, Kagome's mother is just trying to protect her; she's not an InuxKag shipper like we are, and I think she's acting how any parent would. She'll come around. Enjoy.

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Chapter 11: My New Life

The two of them were moving over the ground in a dizzying blur of endless grace and deadly strikes. Kagome watched from above in silence, awed by the sheer power that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were displaying. It was almost like a dance, with each blow perfectly choreographed beforehand, but she knew that it wasn't. This was raw, physical prowess at its best. She'd never really taken the time to appreciate their fighting technique before, as usually when the brothers fought it wasn't just for fun or training purposes, but now she felt as though she was in awe of both of them, and she couldn't help wondering whether she would ever be able to fight like that. Probably not, but it was fun to dream.

Almost as though he'd heard her thoughts, Matsu ambled towards her and leaned against the balcony to look down at the training grounds. He said, "You could do that too, Kagome-san. You're a hanyou now."

"Maybe," Kagome muttered, wincing as Sesshoumaru nearly scored a hit. They may not have been trying to hurt each other, and it was much easier to follow the speed of the fight with her hanyou eyes, but that didn't mean it couldn't be nerve-wracking to watch. "I'm not sure I could ever hit someone like that."

"That's probably because you've always been taught that fighting was wrong," said Matsu, leaning against the railing. "My parents may own a temple, but my father always insisted that I take different classes to learn how to protect myself and others if need be. I remember that when I was younger, it took me some time before I was alright with learning to strike out at someone. You could look into taking a class, too. They're not very expensive."

"Inuyasha offered to teach me," she admitted.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'd think about it. I don't know if I want to get that up close and personal with Naraku, no matter how satisfying it would feel to punch him in the face." She smiled as she heard Matsu snort with laughter and picked up her schoolbag. "I know I should be trying to learn, but it's just so daunting. Maybe I'll take a lesson or two later on, but I think I'll stick with my bow and arrows for now."

"That's your choice to make," he said. "Have a good day."

"You too. Bye!" Kagome waved as she left the room and headed down the hallway of the mansion, which was rapidly becoming familiar to the point where she didn't even get lost as much. She hadn't spoken to her mother in nearly three days, not since the day when the two of them had had their fight. In spite of her grandfather's and Souta's best efforts, the woman was as stubborn as Kagome herself could be. For the time being, she was living in Sesshoumaru's mansion with the rest of her pack, in a large room that was right beside Seiko's and across from Shippou's... though the past few mornings, she'd woken up to find her little kitsune cuddled in bed with her. He was gone already to school, which was where she was headed.

Kagome emerged from the house into daylight and placed her bag over her shoulder as she walked towards the training grounds. Inuyasha hadn't been very happy with her decision to return to school, but at least now, thanks to Seiko and Matsu, he had a better understanding of why exactly school was so important, and he hadn't put up too much of a fuss. She was more than willing to agree to the single term he'd insisted on, which was that she always have an escort to and from the school. Kouga and Ayame worked at the school, so she would have extra back-up there already. On the rare day that Inuyasha, Seiko, or Matsu weren't available, Sesshoumaru and Rin had plenty of guards that would suffice.

"Inuyasha," she called out as she rounded the corner. "I have to leave now. I'm going to be late if we don't."

"Just... one... minute..." he responded, grunting as the slight lapse in concentration caused Sesshoumaru's fist to slam into his stomach. He retaliated with a foot to the shoulder.

"One minute" turned into fifteen, and by then Kagome knew that she was going to be _really_ late unless she left right that moment. She called again to Inuyasha, who answered with the standard "one minute" again, then just left, heading down the long driveway and out onto the street. Sure enough, not five minutes later, she heard a light thump and looked over to see Inuyasha striding along beside her with no sign that he'd just come from a fight. Kagome's eyes widened slightly when she saw him, and she stopped walking, surprised to see Inuyasha with black hair, violet eyes, and a lack of puppy ears.

"What?" he asked, noticing her stare. "I thought you said you were going to be late?"

"I did," Kagome said. "I mean, I am. It's just strange to see you as a human during the day."

"Oh." He glanced away, and she thought she detected a hint of a blush on his cheeks, although he'd never admit it. "Sesshoumaru gave me one of the necklaces to hide the fact that I'm a hanyou," he muttered. "Beats one of those stupid hats you used to give me." Suddenly, he stopped and started digging through the pockets of the black pants he wore. "Where the fuck did I... here."

"What's this?" she asked, taking the necklace he'd thrust into her face. It was made of small, white pearls strung on a silver chain, and she knew it had to be quite expensive. "Inuyasha?"

"It's got a concealment charm on it so you can take that stupid thing off of your head," he answered. "Rin had it made especially for you."

"Oh." Oddly disappointed that it wasn't a gift from him, she unhooked the clasp and went to place it around her neck. Only she couldn't get the clasp back together without looking at it. Inuyasha sighed and stepped behind her, reaching for the ends of the necklace. Kagome gathered her hair and held it up so that he could help. She shivered as his knuckles brushed against the nape of her neck, and heard Inuyasha swallow hard behind her as he let go.

A shiver passed over Kagome's body as the concealment charm activated with a deep red light. She looked down at her hands and saw that they had regained their human-like appearance, then touched the side of her face and 'felt' normal human ears. Quickly, she pulled her bandanna off and felt for her puppy ears. Even though she could _feel_ her ears as they twitched on her head, her fingers told her that there was nothing there.

"Amazing," she breathed. "It feels so real."

Inuyasha just nodded and kept on walking, so that she had to hurry to keep up with him. Kagome shot him nervous glances out of the corner of her eye, wondering what to say. Neither of them had really talked during the last few days, and although she wanted to ask him where they stood, she was almost afraid to. Now that Kikyou was no longer around, did Inuyasha want to be with her? Did he miss the woman so much that it had ruined any chance of things happening between them? He'd been more affectionate with her lately than he had been before, but that could mean anything. Things felt awkward between them, and she hated that. As they approached her school, she took a deep breath and summoned up her courage.

"Inuyasha," she blurted out. "I understand why you didn't want to tell me that you were alive." He stiffened, and she went on before he could say anything. "I understand it, but... I'm really glad that I found out. Thank you for being a father to Shippou, and thank you for caring about me." She stepped closer to him and went up on the tips of her toes so that she could plant a kiss on his cheek. Inuyasha breathed in sharply at the contact and when she glanced at him, his gold eyes were enormous. "Was that... okay?"

Silently, he nodded, staring at her like she'd suddenly sprouted horns. With effort, Kagome choked back a giggle and said good-bye to him, not really expecting an answer. She was smiling like a crazy girl as she strolled into the schoolyard, knowing that most of her concerns had been for nothing. Inuyasha might not be willing to declare love for her at any point in the near future, but she could say for certain that he still liked her, and it made her feel good.

"Kagome-chan, who was that?" Like a whirlwind, Yuka descended on her, grabbing onto Kagome's arm. "Who was that guy, and why were you kissing him?"

"Did you dump your old boyfriend?" Eri asked eagerly, looking out at the spot where Inuyasha had been.

"No, that _was _my boyfriend," Kagome said, blushing a little. "He decided to walk me to school today."

"Awww!" Ayumi cooed. "That's so sweet."

"I'm so jealous!" Yuka stomped her foot.

Eri said, "I thought maybe you'd broken up with that guy, Kagome-chan. You hadn't mentioned him in quite a while."

"We were having some problems, but we worked it out." Gently, she pried Yuka's hand off of her arm and began walking towards the school. She smiled brightly to herself as she said, "I think we're going to be together forever."

**IKIKIKIK**

Once classes were done for the day, Kagome found herself muffling a tired yawn as she gathered her books together, distantly listening to her friends gossip about their weekend plans. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her teacher giving her a significant look and nodded slightly, recognizing that he wanted to speak to her before she left. It had taken her a while to equate the serious, young Kobayashi Katsuo with the wolf youkai Kouga, but now that she knew the truth, she could see it. Even when he was pretending to be human, and no doubt in spite of his best efforts, Kouga couldn't quite hide the natural grace that his youkai strength lent to him, and he had a certain way of moving that just screamed predator.

"Come on, Kagome-chan," Ayumi said, snapping Kagome out of her thoughts. "I want to get out of here. My grandparents are coming over for dinner, so I haven't got very much time."

"You guys go ahead," Kagome said, rising. "I need to speak to Kobayashi-sensei about all of the work that I've missed. Wait for me outside, okay?"

"Okay," Yuka said. "Hey, I wonder if Hojo-kun is still around?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and waited until the three of them were gone and the classroom was empty before she went up to the desk. "You wanted to speak to me?" she asked.

"Have you got a ride home?" Kouga asked, glancing up at her. He finished putting some papers into his desk drawer and stood up. "I don't want that idiot of yours showing up at my house because you were out by yourself when Naraku is around."

"Onii-chan and Onee-chan are meeting me," she answered, pleased at how normal the nicknames had become. Neither Seiko nor Matsu had openly brought the matter up with her, but she'd seen the look of pleasure on Matsu's face when she called him that, and she knew Seiko didn't mind. She studied him for a moment longer and added, "You know, I think that after all this time, you like Inuyasha a lot more than you want to admit."

He choked and turned to stare at her. "What? Me, liking that moron? Kagome, you're just..."

"Yup. I think so," she said, cutting him off. She linked her arms behind her and walked over to the door, unconcerned about speaking to him about schoolwork. "Ne, Kouga-kun, I wanted to tell you that I'm really happy for you. I'm glad that you mated with Ayame-chan. She's been good for you."

"Kagome..." His eyes widened slightly, and then he chuckled, surprising her. "For a long time, I was cocky enough to think that maybe you would have been disappointed that I didn't wait for you. I was too foolish to realize that you were in love with Inuyasha. Maybe it's for the best that things turned out this way."

"Maybe," Kagome agreed, shooting him a small smile as she left the room. The school had emptied out quickly, and she hurried down the stairs and out into the late afternoon sunshine to find her friends waiting for her in a cluster near the door. Yuka was talking to Hojo while Ayumi and Eri stood a short distance away and giggled. Kagome stole over to the two of them, watching with interest as Hojo and Yuka blushed at the exact same time. "What's she doing?"

"Asking him out," Eri said, shaking her head. "Or, actually, trying to manipulate poor Hojo-kun into asking her out. She's always been super jealous of Kagome-chan because of Hojo-kun. After you turned him down, she decided that it was the perfect opportunity for her to step in."

"She's welcome to him," said Kagome, relieved that someone else was stepping up to the plate. "If I have to accept one more herbal gift..."

Ayumi giggled again. "I don't think you'll have to worry too much, Kagome-chan. Yuka-chan is convinced that Hojo-kun is going to ask her out for tomorrow night."

"Shh! Look," Eri hissed, pointing. Yuka was nodding and Hojo was smiling broadly. They conversed for another minute or two before Hojo waved to the girls and walked away. Kagome could have easily listened to the conversation, but out of respect for her friends, purposely trained her ears in the opposite direction. It was a good thing, too, because the second Hojo was out of sight, Yuka let loose with a high-pitched squeal of joy that made Kagome's ears ache and probably would have deafened her temporarily if she'd been trying to eavesdrop. As it was, she winced, fighting the urge to massage her ears.

"I take it you've got a date tomorrow night?" Ayumi asked wryly.

"Hojo-kun asked me out. Hojo-kun. Asked. _Me_. Out," Yuka said, clasping her hands over her heart dramatically. "I have a date with Hojo-kun!"

"No matter how many times you say it, it's still going to be true," mumbled Eri.

"Kagome-chan!"

All four girls looked up at the new voice, which had interrupted Yuka before she began her spiel for a second time. Kagome smiled brightly when she saw Seiko and Matsu standing at the gate of her school. Seiko was wearing a jean skirt and sneakers, with an open, loose pink shirt over a white tank top. The ends of the pink shirt had been tied into a knot beneath her breasts. Her hair had been tied up into a ponytail with a pink clasp. Matsu was in jeans and a dark blue shirt that fit tightly enough to make Eri gasp. As the two of them began walking towards the group, Kagome was jabbed in the ribs repeatedly by Eri's very pointy elbow.

"Who... is... that?" she demanded.

"That's my sister and my brother," said Kagome, neatly side-stepping another elbow jab. "I have plans with them already, sorry. Maybe we can do something on Sunday."

"Yeah... Maybe..." Ayumi said, sounding dazed. "Bye, Kagome-chan."

"I didn't know Kagome-chan had an older brother and sister," Yuka was hissing as Kagome walked away, meeting Seiko and Matsu halfway across the yard.

"Are you ready to go?" Seiko asked, glancing at Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri. "Your friends can come if you want."

"No, I hardly think we need willing participants to be groped," Kagome said.

Matsu's eyes lit up. "Willing, you say..."

"Down, boy," said Seiko, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Kagome-chan, you should know better than to encourage him. Let's get out of here before what little willpower this pervert has left is completely gone."

"Seiko-san, you wound me!"

"It'll be physical if you don't move it," she warned.

"See what I have to put up with?" he complained.

"Don't try to tell me that you don't love it," teased Kagome. She was surprised at the way Matsu's eyes shadowed at her innocent comment, and Seiko looked away suddenly, studying a poster as if it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. What was_ that_ about? A frown touched her lips and she studied her two friends intently, trying to figure out the answer. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Seiko or Matsu interact much since she'd joined them at Sesshoumaru's mansion. If she hadn't known better, she would have said that Seiko was _avoiding_ Matsu. But that couldn't be true, could it? Maybe they weren't in love, like Sango and Miroku had been, but surely after a whole year they were at least friends... Her confusion only deepened when Seiko tripped suddenly and Matsu instinctively grabbed her arm to steady her, only to let go like he'd touched hot coals when he remembered himself.

Kagome frowned pensively, glancing from Matsu to Seiko. Did this have something to do with the way they had died in the past? She had attempted to broach the subject once with Seiko, only to have the other girl make up an excuse to flee the room. Admittedly, the fact that Seiko wouldn't discuss it had stung, because she wasn't used to having secrets between her and her friends, but this went deeper than that. Well, whatever this was about, she decided that she was going to find out and fix things. Fortunately, she had just the right plan... and all it would involve was a little talk with Rin.

* * *

Please review!


	12. Visit to the Hot Springs Part I

**A/N:** I'm much happier with this chapter than I was with the last one, which I had a hard time finishing. I feel like this one flows much better. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, even though it wasn't that great. Just for you all, this chapter _and_ the next one include an extra sweet dose of Inuyasha/Kagome fluffiness. So cute! I just the love the two of them together. Enjoy the chapter!

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Chapter 12: Visit to the Hot Springs Part I

Shippou was happy; he sat on his papa's lap sucking on a piece of candy given to him by his mama once he'd finished his dinner, contentedly listening to the chatter. He wasn't at all surprised when Rin stood up and tapped her fork against her glass in a request for silence. When Kagome had come home from school that afternoon, she'd dragged Rin into a corner and the two of them had held an intense, whispered conference that included many less than subtle glances in the direction of Seiko and Matsu, who just pretended not to notice. Then Kagome had disappeared upstairs wearing a triumphant grin, and now Rin was announcing that to celebrate the fact that Kagome and Miho had been returned home safely, all of them – meaning Rin, Sesshoumaru, Kouga, Ayame, Kagome, Inuyasha, Matsu, and Seiko – were going to a hot spring for a few days.

"What?" Miho whined immediately before anyone else had the chance to get a word in. She put her fork down and folded her arms, pouting. "You're celebrating my return and I'm not even invited?"

"You'll be staying with Arihi-chan," Rin told her daughter. "She's already planning a massive slumber party for all of you, so I don't think you'll suffer too much. The boys will be staying with Hiroki-kun. And I do _not _want you spending the whole weekend at that dreadful paintball place," she added, narrowing her eyes at the innocent smirks that had immediately appeared. "If I have to ask Ohiru-sensei to check in on you, I will, but don't think she'll take it lightly."

"Mama, can I come with you?" Shippou asked, not paying attention to the numerous groans around the large table. Sesshoumaru silenced his children with a sharp look, but Shippou ignored him. He didn't have to listen to Sesshoumaru as long as his parents were in the room, especially not when he'd charmed his way into Inuyasha's lap.

Kagome's smug grin vanished, and she glanced at Inuyasha with a question in her eyes. Reluctantly, he gave her a shrug and then nodded. It was obvious to all that he would have liked the trip to have been just about he and Kagome, especially after the kiss on the cheek that she'd given him at the school gates, but he knew that she was still very uncertain about separating from Shippou so soon. If the little kitsune didn't come along, she would probably spend the whole trip worrying about him, and the wobbly voice Shippou had voiced his question in wasn't doing anything to help matters.

"Of course you can come, Shippou-chan," said Kagome, giving the boy a warm smile.

"Why does he get to come?" demanded Jin, scowling deeply. He was Miho's twin, and the other scout who had often guarded the Higurashi Shrine. "That's not fair."

"It's Kagome's and Inuyasha's decision," Rin said, casting them a warning glance before clapping her hands together and smiling brightly. "We'll leave early tomorrow morning. I think this is exactly what everyone needs to relax."

Watching Kagome and Rin exchange looks that spelled trouble, Shippou wasn't so certain about that. He cast a glance up at Inuyasha, who looked like he had a headache already, and then around at the others. Matsu was frowning as he watched the girls. Seiko was poking at her meal and not paying too much attention to what was going on. Sesshoumaru appeared to be stoic, though there was a glint in his eyes. Kouga was smirking. Ayame was glancing at Rin and Kagome with a small smile; clearly, she knew what the real reason for the trip was. A devilish smile crossed the kitsune's face. Maybe this trip would be fun after all.

**IKIKIKIK**

The trip to the hotel took about three hours of straight driving. Since the group had left quite early that morning, they arrived before noon. Kagome got out of the car first and threw her arms over her head in a luxurious stretch. Even though she missed riding on Inuyasha's back, a limo was totally the way to travel. Sesshoumaru and Kouga both had money in excess, and that was obvious from the pristine condition of everything they owned. She'd never had such a comfortable ride in all her life. Apparently there was an advantage to belonging to the pack of a guy with a rich brother. The thought made her smirk.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, looking at her suspiciously. Even after two years, he'd never quite gotten used to riding in cars, and he much preferred traveling under his own power.

She glanced back at the others and then beckoned him closer. "Onee-chan and Onii-chan have been acting really strangely," she whispered to him, keeping her voice soft. "They're not comfortable around each other at all. I want to try and figure out what's wrong with them. Rin and I thought that Onee-chan might open up here."

Inuyasha just barely refrained from shaking his head, though he couldn't help giving her a fond look. Same old Kagome, always trying to fix everything. She couldn't stand it when someone in their little group was unhappy or depressed, and often considered it her duty to make it right. It was something that he had fallen prey to many times during their adventures together; a quality that he had once hated about her, but had now come to appreciate as a part of her wonderful, huge heart.

"The monk dreams about their death sometimes," he offered.

Kagome gasped softly. "He does?"

"His room is next to mine. I hear him calling out to Sango." His nose caught the scent of salt and he realized that tears had welled up in Kagome's eyes. "He never told me any details, but I think that's how they died. She wouldn't have left him no matter what he said. You know how stubborn Sango could be."

"Poor Miroku..." Kagome breathed, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "And Sango-chan..." She bowed her head, lost in mourning for the friends she had loved so much.

"Don't cry, Kagome," Inuyasha urged. He hated it when she cried, because he was totally helpless to make her stop. Slowly, half-afraid that she would push him away, he reached out and placed an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him immediately, turning her face into the crook of his arm, and he relaxed, searching for something else that might comfort her. "Sango and Miroku might be gone... but Seiko and Matsu aren't. They've got another chance. If you can figure out how to make sure that they don't waste it that would be the best gift you could give them. I think you should give it your best shot."

"Inuyasha..." Her lips curved into that smile that he loved so much, and she turned her head so that she could peek up at him. "I miss your fire-rat robe."

He blinked, startled by the sudden change in topic. "I've still got them. They're at home in my bedroom. Rin convinced me that I really did attract too much attention by wearing them."

"I'd like to know how she did that," she chuckled, wiping at the tears on her face. "I can remember a lot of arguments that would have been resolved a lot faster if you'd taken the same piece of advice from me."

"It didn't matter before. We didn't have to live here," he answered.

The comment had been made lightly, but it caused a heavy silence between the two of them at the memory of the world that was no longer accessible to them. Kagome sighed and closed her eyes, burrowing her head into the fabric of his shirt. Inuyasha glanced up at the sky, aware of the fact that their friends had seen that they were having a quiet moment and gone ahead into the hotel without them, and sighed as he tucked her closer to his body. He would have liked to have stayed there with Kagome forever, but the day was getting on, and he knew that she only had so much time to implement her little plan before they had to return.

"Kagome, we should go in," he said quietly, regretfully. For her, it had been a matter of weeks, but for him it had been two long years since he'd last held her, and standing here embracing her was like knowing a little bit of heaven. He ducked his head and breathed in her scent. A wave of calm flowed over him, soothing his annoyance at having to move.

"Okay," she agreed. She was silent for a moment, and then spoke impulsively. "Do you think, tonight, we could go for a run? Just the two of us? I miss that."

Inuyasha was startled by her request, and he couldn't quite hide the pleasure he felt, knowing that it showed in his face. At first when she had come back to them, he had despaired of ever reaching that quiet understanding that had once existed between the two of them. Now he was beginning to realize that he and Kagome had a chance of moving on to something better that he had never dared to hope for as a child. "Of course we can, Kagome."

"Good." Her arms slipped around his waist, and she gave him a quick squeeze before she let go and backed off a step. The pink in her cheeks and the way she twined her fingers together made her look even more attractive, if that was possible. "In the meantime, do you think that you could distract Shippou-chan and Onii-chan for me? I need to be able to speak to Onee-chan without being disturbed, and I know what Onii-chan is going to be like when it comes to the open baths around here." She rolled her eyes.

"Fucking pervert," Inuyasha muttered, feeling a hot flash of protectiveness. "I'll beat him into the ground if he so much as looks at the door."

"Try to leave him in one piece," she advised, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "If they're ever going to get back together, he kind of needs to be alive."

"I make no promises," he answered loftily, causing her to laugh out loud. Inuyasha smiled softly and found the courage to reach out for her hand, half-expecting her to pull away. To his immense surprise and relief, her eyes widened at the touch and a beautiful smile crossed her lips. She looked at him with so much affection as she curled her fingers around his that he had to look away, towards the hotel. He wasn't used to people openly caring for him, and Kagome seemed to understand that, because she said nothing, only squeezing his hand gently as the two of them began walking towards the hotel.

**IKIKIKIK**

It was a good thing that Inuyasha had agreed to keep Miroku away, because the moan of contentment that Kagome let out as she slipped into the woman's baths probably would have fried the boy's brains. Ayame, who was already seated within the steaming water, grinned and leaned further back against the warm rock as the miko sank deeper into the water, so that it rose to her shoulders, and meandered across the pool, enjoying the feel of the hot water against her body. Her eyes half-lidded with pleasure, she sank into a little dip in the rock beside Ayame and purred.

"I'm not moving. Ever. Again," she declared, wishing that Seiko was with them. But apparently the other girl had gone "for a run" as soon as they got to the hotel, and she hadn't been seen since. Only Sesshoumaru's reassurance that she didn't need to be concerned kept Kagome from trying to track her friend down.

"We'll just send Inuyasha to fish you out, then," Ayame said. She and Rin, who was standing at the head of the pool wearing a towel, both chuckled when Kagome spluttered.

"I'm not sure that would work, Ayame-chan," Rin said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Inuyasha would probably faint, and then they would both drown." In a quick movement, she disrobed her towel and stepped into the water, just barely muffling her own moan of approval. Even though she had primarily wanted to come to the hot springs to further Kagome's plan, she couldn't deny that the heated water felt amazing.

"Stop teasing me," Kagome complained with a pout. It was hard to tell whether the blush on her cheeks was from the heat or embarrassment, but Ayame suspected it was the latter. "I'm moving things along with Inuyasha. Gradually. I mean, we're going for a run together later. I'm hoping he'll let me ride on his back again."

"Oh, I'm sure he will. You're practically his mate, so he'd do anything for you." Ayame tilted her head back, allowing the ends of her bright red hair to touch the water. Being that this was a resort run by youkai, there was no need for any of them to wear concealment charms, and it felt good to be out and about in her youkai form. She opened her eyes in surprise when she felt a shadow looming over her, and saw that Kagome was standing right in front of her, staring down at Ayame with a pale face. "What? What's wrong?"

"What did you just say?" Kagome asked weakly.

Ayame blinked, startled by the strange reaction. "I said, you're practically his mate and that he would do anything for you if you asked. Why? Kagome-chan, what's wrong?" She was leaning forward, concerned by the strange look on Kagome's face, when Kagome staggered back a step and slipped on the bottom of the pool. The girl disappeared beneath the water with a shout, sending Ayame lunging towards her. "Kagome-chan!"

"Kagome-onee-san!" Rin cried at the same time, quickly making her way over to the miko. Reaching down through the water, she gripped Kagome's arm and helped Ayame haul the sputtering miko to the surface. "Are you okay, Kagome-onee-san? Here, Ayame-chan, help me sit her down."

Working together, they ushered Kagome over to a little ridge in the side of the pool, where she was able to sit without the water coming up too high. She stared straight ahead, her mind endlessly repeating what Ayame had just said to her. Inuyasha and her? _Mates_? The very thought of the word caused a quiver to run through the youkai side of her, who had never wanted anything more. Kagome shivered in spite of the heat of the water and glanced at Ayame, who was sitting beside her. Rin was crouched in the water in front of them, looking deeply concerned.

"What do you mean? I don't understand," Kagome admitted. "Inuyasha... I don't know if he likes me that way. I haven't even spoken to him about Kikyou yet. How could we be..." Her voice trailed off as her cheeks flushed. _Mates_. It was far too intimate a word for her to be comfortable with saying it right away.

"No one explained things to you?" Ayame said incredulously, her eyes wide. "Good lord, that idiot. If I'd known, I would have told you much sooner..." She shook her head and looked at Rin. "You lived through it. Maybe...?"

Rin smiled softly and nodded. "Kagome-onee-san, the ritual that you did with Inuyasha originally had a different purpose than just saving lives. It was created to join youkai or hanyou with creatures that didn't have the same span of life, so that when they mated, they would be able to survive together. That's how I was able to live for so long by Sesshoumaru's side. If that's the ritual you performed, then according to youkai law, you and Inuyasha are in the beginning stages of mating. Of course," she went on, her face taking on a troubled look. "Normally for it to work, the ritual requires a binding verbal agreement on the part of both sides. Inuyasha was unconscious and dying at the time, so perhaps that changed the point of the ritual. I can't really be sure."

Kagome didn't say anything for a moment as she struggled to wrap her mind around what Rin had said. She vaguely recalled Myoga saying something similar on that night while she was rushing around in preparation for the ritual, but she hadn't really been listening to him. Her panic over Inuyasha had blinded her to everything that she hadn't deemed important at the time. Had she really bound the two of them together, even though she hadn't meant to? Her stomach tightened, and she gulped back tears, fighting not to cry. Why hadn't she given Myouga's explanation more attention?

"All I wanted was to save his life," she whispered, her voice so soft that Rin had difficulty hearing her. "I... I didn't mean to... to trap him..."

"You didn't trap him, Kagome-onee-san. You were just trying to save his life, and he understands that. Besides, Inuyasha loves you," said Rin. "Believe me, with how much he worries about you, there's no other possible explanation. He nearly drove us crazy over the course of the two years when he couldn't see you, even though after a while it was his choice to stay away."

"Besides," added Ayame. "If Inuyasha didn't want to be with you, I doubt that the spell would have worked. You wouldn't be a hanyou, and he would probably be dead."

"If that's true, then why didn't he tell me?" Kagome asked, looking between the two of them. "He must have realized that I wouldn't understand. I don't know much about how youkai or hanyou work, much less their m-mating rituals."

"Maybe he was afraid," Rin suggested gently. "Why don't you bring it up with him?"

"I guess I should," she agreed slowly. Mates. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of belonging to Inuyasha forever and vice versa. Perhaps Rin was right, and he was just too uncomfortable or embarrassed to explain it to her. That sounded like Inuyasha. "We're supposed to meet soon. I could talk to him about it tonight."

"Go for it!" said Ayame, grinning. "You guys belong together. I've known that since I first met you."

With a shy smile, Kagome climbed out of the pool and dried herself off with a towel before she pulled on the loose yukata and soft, comfortable sandals that the hotel had given to them as part of the package Sesshoumaru had purchased. Rin leaned over the edge of the pool and helped her to tie the obi before she left the two of them in the hot spring and walked the short distance to the hotel, where she was supposed to meet Inuyasha out front at just past seven. It was almost ten after. Her heart was beating so hard that she was certain Inuyasha heard her coming long before she got there.

Her hanyou eyes certainly picked him out of the darkness with ease long before she reached him. Inuyasha was standing in front of the hotel as they had agreed upon earlier, his arms folded against his chest and Tetsusaiga at his side. He was staring up at the sky and the emerging moon, though a twitch of his ear told her that he knew she was coming. The light made his silvery hair look wonderful against the pattern of his bright red yukata, and for a moment, she could almost imagine that he was wearing the fire-rat robes again.

"Inuyasha," Kagome called out quietly, coming to a stop.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha turned towards her, and she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the relief flickering in his eyes. He'd been worried when she hadn't shown up on time, even though he would never admit it.

"Have you been waiting long for me? I'm sorry. Ayame-chan and Rin-chan asked me to visit the hot spring with them, and I guess I lost track of time."

"Keh! Like I'd worry about you," he mumbled. "Are you ready to go?"

Kagome smiled a little and stepped closer to him, wondering how to bring up the subject. What little knowledge she knew about youkai and hanyou had been taken from passing conversations with her friends, but she'd never thought to ask serious questions before. At one time, she would have viewed mating as the youkai/hanyou equivalent of marriage, but now she understood that mating was a _very_ serious thing, and that it was permanent. How was she going to broach the idea with Inuyasha without getting embarrassed herself? She hesitated briefly and decided that it really was a conversation that would probably go over better if they weren't around the hotel, where anyone with a decent pair of ears could overhear.

"Yes, but... Inuyasha, do you think that... that I could ride on your back again?" she asked tentatively.

He looked surprised by the question, but silently turned and knelt so that she would have an easier time getting on. Kagome stepped forwards and placed her hands on his shoulders as she leaned against him. Inuyasha's hands curled around her knees as he stood up, adjusting the way her body laid until it was comfortable for both of them. She squeezed the warm skin beneath her hands, holding on tightly, even though she knew that Inuyasha would never drop her. Taking that as a sign that she was ready, he leapt straight up into the air, using the branches of the trees to propel them forwards.

The cool wind ruffled against Kagome's hair as she tucked her head in closer, beneath the silvery curtain of his hair, so that her delicate ears had more protection. Her nose was pressed up against his neck, allowing her to breathe in Inuyasha's comforting scent, and his hands were warm and strong on her legs. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck instead of keeping them on his shoulders as she usually did and smiled into his yukata. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was finally home.

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Please review!


	13. Visit to the Hot Springs Part II

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews. As per all of the requests, here is more Inuyasha/Kagome fluff coming right up! I hope no one is disappointed by Inuyasha's reaction to Kagome. I was intending for it to be more humorous, but then I realized that the two of them are steadily progressing to the point that an over-reaction would feel awkward and wrong. Or maybe I'm just too addicted to the romance for my own good, that's a distinct possibility as well! Please enjoy the extra long chapter.

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Chapter 13: Visit to the Hot Springs Part II

After about half an hour of steady jumping from branch to branch, Kagome was startled awake when she felt Inuyasha hop to the ground and walk along the forest path. She lifted her head and blinked, glancing around sleepily. His body was so warm and she was so comfortable that she was having a hard time not drifting off to sleep. All of her exhaustion fled, however, when she saw the clearing just ahead of them and realized what Inuyasha done for her. There was a large blanket spread out across the grass, with a basket and two plates waiting nearby. A couple of lanterns had been put into the ground and lit to both give them light and keep the bugs away. In the middle of the blanket was a vase with six beautiful, barely open red roses.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome breathed, shocked and deeply touched. He loosened his grasp on her knees when she spoke, allowing Kagome to land lightly on her feet. She moved past him into the clearing and stepped over to the blanket, then knelt and stroked one of the petals of the flowers. The softness of the petal against her finger convinced her that she wasn't seeing things. Inuyasha really _had_ done this for her. Tears sprang to her eyes.

"Ka... Kagome?" Behind her, Inuyasha sounded panicked. He could smell the scent of her tears. "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"No, I _love_ it," she choked out, brushing at her eyes and turning to beam at him. "I can't believe you did this for me, Inuyasha! It's wonderful. Thank you so much."

Looking embarrassed, Inuyasha folded his arms and turned his head away. "Keh. Seiko thought maybe you needed some time away from the others," he muttered. "She insisted on everything else."

"It was very sweet of both of you," she answered, kneeling down on the edge of the blanket. She had the feeling that Inuyasha had had more to do with the picnic than he wanted to admit. That knowledge, combined with the sweet smell of the roses, made her happier than she ever could have imagined. "Sit down, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha obligingly sat across from her, and Kagome opened up the basket to see what was inside. Besides a box labelled 'dessert', the only things that she found were two bottles of water and Inuyasha's favourite, a large container of ramen. She had to swallow a laugh as she opened it up to test the food. The ramen inside was lukewarm, which she decided would do. Making sure that Inuyasha got the larger portion, she divided the ramen up and handed him the plate along with a set of chopsticks. He dug into the meal eagerly as she placed a bottle of water at his knees. Kagome picked up her own helping and smiled to herself as she watched him devour the ramen. It had been a while since she'd been able to eat the spicy noodles, since just seeing them before she'd known about her pack being alive had been enough to reduce her tears. The memory made her sad and she lowered her plate without even taking a bite. Inuyasha noticed and stopped his eating to frown at her curiously.

"You're not hungry?" he asked.

"I was just thinking, that's all," answered Kagome, looking out at the trees. Fireflies danced amongst the branches, blinking on and off, and a cool breeze blew, ruffling her hair around her shoulders. She mustered her courage, but couldn't bring herself to look straight at him as she said, "Inuyasha... I know about Kikyou."

Just as she spoke, Inuyasha had spooned several noodles into his mouth. He inhaled sharply at her words and then choked, sputtering and slamming his fist against his chest. "W... what?" he gasped.

"She came to visit me after she died and let you and Shippou-chan through the veil. We had a... a talk about the fact that I was a hanyou. Without her, I might not have been here at all," she said, giving him a soft smile. She had decided not to tell Inuyasha about the times that Kikyou had shot at her with purified energy. It would only upset him, and it wasn't as though he could do anything about it. "I'm sorry that she's gone, Inuyasha. I know you loved her a lot."

"Kagome..." He stared at her for a minute, then looked down at the blanket and wondered how to proceed. When he was just a pup, Inuyasha had never dared to hope that there would be someone who could love him. Many humans and youkai had made it clear that he would always be alone. The fact that _two_ women had loved him was something that still amazed him to no end when he stopped to think about it. Kikyou and Kagome had loved him in different ways, though, and as sad and unhappy as he was that Kikyou had died before he'd been able to avenge her, he was more relieved that Kagome was still with him. At that moment, as he studied Kagome, who was still intently gazing out at the forest, he suddenly understood part of the reason for the awkwardness that had existed between the two of them for the past few days.

"If I could bring her back to you, I would," Kagome went on, determined to push on when Inuyasha didn't say anything else. "You know that, right?"

"I wouldn't want you to," Inuyasha said quietly. When she glanced at him in surprise, he softened his voice and spoke gently. "Kagome, make no mistake, I cared for Kikyou very much. She was the first person who ever meant anything to me after the death of my mother. But... the Kikyou that was brought back to life was not the woman that I lo... cared about. They were completely different people. That was just a shell of hate that Urasue created. Thanks to you, the real Kikyou has been freed. It makes me happier to know that Kikyou is finally at peace, where she belongs."

"Inuyasha..." Her eyes filled with tears again, and she lowered her head, still without looking at him. "I kept thinking that maybe you missed her so much that..."

Shaking his head, he scooted across the blanket and took Kagome into his arms. It felt so good to hold onto her after years of waiting, and he cursed himself internally for not making a move sooner. "That's not it at all, Kagome. I'm sorry you've misunderstood. I didn't want... I don't know... I..."

"It's okay," Kagome said, glancing up and placing a finger over his lips. "Ayame-chan and Rin-chan told me about the ritual and what it meant. That we're in the beginning stages of... you know." A blush spread across her cheeks, and as his heart skipped a beat, he couldn't help thinking that she had never looked more beautiful.

"Do you... mind?" he asked hesitantly, swallowing hard. He'd known from the beginning that Kagome hadn't understood the implications of the ritual she had performed, but he'd been hesitant to bring it up because he wasn't sure how she would handle it. Seiko had told him he was being foolish, and apparently from the look on Kagome's face, she was right.

Kagome took a deep breath and shook her head slowly, keeping their eyes connected. "No. I... I told you. I want to be with you, Inuyasha. I love you."

Inuyasha's golden eyes went wide. "Kagome..." he whispered, clutching her against his body with hands that shook. It was the first time she had ever said those words to him when they weren't in the middle of a battle, or just coming out of one, and he knew that he would remember this moment forever. He pressed his face into her soft hair, wondering how he had ever gotten so fortunate as to have had her in his life, and realized that as much as he wanted to say those words back to her, he didn't know if he could. "I... Kagome, I..."

"It's okay," she said into his chest. She could wait for Inuyasha to tell her that he loved her. Kagome didn't need to hear him say the words right away, as long as she knew that he felt the same way that she did. Her hands curled tighter into his yukata and she found herself fighting back tears of joy. "I know. I understand."

**IKIKIKIK**

The next morning, Kagome rolled out of bed and got up to take a quick shower, noticing that Seiko was still sleeping. She'd shared a room with Seiko and had been hoping for some fun after she'd gotten back from her talk with Inuyasha, but her friend was unusually quiet and didn't even ask any for any details about Kagome and Inuyasha. That in itself was worrying, and Kagome frowned pensively as she emerged from the bathroom ready for the day and saw that Seiko had gotten up and dressed while Kagome was in the bathroom. Shippou was already gone, so the two of them went downstairs to the dining room together.

Sesshoumaru had actually rented a small house on the grounds of the resort so that they didn't have to stay at the hotel itself; no doubt it had been rather expensive, but it meant the eight of them had a great deal more privacy. There were four bedrooms, so Seiko, Kagome, and Shippou were able to share one room, Inuyasha and Miroku the second, Rin and Sesshoumaru the third, and Ayame and Kouga had the fourth. Waking up in a bedroom with her son curled up next to her and her sister in the next bed had filled Kagome with a joy that practically shone from her golden brown eyes, and before long, her frown had become a brilliant smile.

"Morning," she sang out, walking into the dining room a step ahead of Seiko.

"Don't tell me you're a morning person, Kagome," Kouga said wearily, eyeing her over his full, steaming cup of black coffee. Gone were the days when he rose at the crack of time to get a head start on being the alpha of his pack. He enjoyed sleeping in, though he rarely got to do it, and after several centuries of having a cup of hot coffee every single morning, Kouga couldn't function without it.

"Not usually," Kagome said, noticing that the maid service at the hotel had already had their breakfast brought over. She knelt at the low table, admiring the western-style breakfast that was waiting for them. Ayame handed her two plates, and she scooped a couple of pancakes onto both, then drizzled syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries over both. Shippou beamed when she set one of plates down in front of him. As she settled back down with her own, she caught sight of Inuyasha eyeing the two of them with what was undeniably a spark of jealousy. Hiding her smile, Kagome fetched a third plate and fixed a similar meal for him, only with four pancakes instead of two. The gratitude in his eyes when she handed it to him made her blush, and she looked quickly down at her own meal, well aware that Rin and Ayame had both caught the exchange.

"So what are you boys up to today?" Rin asked, nibbling on a plump strawberry. That, aside from a few wedges of an orange, was the only thing on her plate. It wasn't really necessary for her to watch her figure, but she'd never gotten used to eating a large breakfast even after hundreds of years, and usually made do with a very light meal. "Kagome-onee-san, Ayame-chan, Seiko-chan and I have plans. I've booked us into the hotel's spa for a full day of luxury."

"Really?" said Kagome, shocked by the offer. "Wow, Rin-chan. That sounds fantastic."

"Yeah, thanks," Seiko said, taking a sip of her tea in an effort to hide her surprise. She wasn't usually the kind of girl who pampered herself, even though her family wasn't wanting for money. However, once in a while, she didn't mind doing the whole "girly" thing, especially when Kagome was in on it. Her eyes began to sparkle and she glanced at Kagome, who grinned back excitedly.

"Can I come?" Shippou asked, licking his fork.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but I think you would be bored," Kagome told him. "I think you'll be better off with your father."

She spoke the words casually, but there was no missing the way Inuyasha's eyes brightened or how he sat up straighter when Kagome publicly acknowledged him as Shippou's father. It was a role that he had naturally stepped into, being that Shippou was an orphaned kitsune who'd lost a mother for a second time, but some part of him had expected that when Kagome returned, he would no longer be needed. He'd told himself that it was a foolish thought, but he couldn't help thinking it anyway – Shippou and Kagome had always been so close. Now, knowing that both Kagome and Shippou still needed and wanted him made him feel good. He dug into his pancakes with more gusto than before as Shippou pouted and turned to look at him with huge, watery eyes.

"Then what are we going to do today, Papa?" he asked.

"Err..." Inuyasha was caught off guard. It was one thing to be a parent, but it was another to actually think up things to entertain his son. Having spent most of his own childhood learning to survive on his own, he'd never had the chance to observe what normal children did for fun and play, and so he wasn't quite sure what to suggest. He shot a desperate glance towards Kagome and Rin, who covered her mouth to hide her laugh.

"There are lots of things to do around here, Shippou-chan," she said kindly. "I've signed you up for the children's art class and then a nature walk this morning. I think you'll really enjoy yourself at the art class. I heard a rumour that they're working with watercolour paints today."

"Really?" Shippou's eyes gleamed, and Kagome had the feeling that she'd be buying a paint set before the week was out.

"What about you, Kouga?" Ayame asked.

"I got some tests to grade," Kouga muttered, already well into his second cup. He appeared to be ignoring the food in front of him entirely. "Once that's finished, I'm sure I'll find something to do."

"Just try not to work too hard. It would be nice if you actually spent part of this vacation relaxing," she said, giving her mate a fond look. Kouga was so competitive that it was often hard to make him take a step backwards and just relax a little. He was all about making sure that his family had the very best that he could offer, no matter what it took, which was wonderful until he collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Even a youkai couldn't keep going forever. It was a good thing that he and Sesshoumaru didn't own rival companies, or it was likely that neither of them would _ever _settle down. The two of them were so much alike sometimes it was eerie, but she wouldn't have had it any other way.

"You, too," Rin told Sesshoumaru, rising gracefully to her feet. Leaning down, she kissed him on the cheek, then on the mouth when Sesshoumaru turned his head. Kagome watched them closely, too fascinated to be embarrassed by how rude she was being. She remembered how tenderly Sesshoumaru had treated Miho when he'd found them and realized all over again that he truly loved his family. The passing centuries had worked hard at changing the stoic, stone-cold youkai into someone that could treat his mate and children with at least some form of the love and respect that he felt deep inside.

Rin pulled away and smiled, seemingly unperturbed when she realized that they had an audience. "Are you two finished?" she asked Kagome and Seiko. "We should get going. Our spa time starts at nine on the dot."

"I'm done," Seiko said, hopping to her feet just as Matsu walked into the room. Her quick movement caused Matsu to stumble into her, nearly sending the two of them toppling over. Seiko drew back quickly once she'd regained her balance and stepped around him, head down. Matsu glanced over his shoulder to watch her leave, and Kagome knew that she wasn't imagining the longing that she saw in his eyes. It only made her more determined to find out what was going on.

"Let's go, Kagome-onee-san," said Rin, following Seiko out the door.

"Yup, I'm coming," said Kagome, snapping out of her daze. Quickly chewing the last bite of one of her pancakes, she leaned over and spooned the rest of her meal onto Inuyasha's plate. The pancakes were delicious, but her friends were ready to leave, and she wasn't really all that hungry anymore. She gave Inuyasha a kiss on the cheek, ignoring the way he choked on his food, hugged Shippou, and then stood up and hurried into the front hall. "Oi! Wait for me! Don't leave without me."

"Then you should hurry," Ayame called back, laughing. "Come on. We'll be late."

Kagome slipped her shoes on and ran outside to join her friends. As the four of them walked up the slight hill towards the main part of the hotel, she glanced around, admiring the area. The resort's grounds were very peaceful, with forest surrounding them on all sides and a small lake where people could go swimming if they wanted to. She liked being outside without having to hide the hanyou part of her, and she especially enjoyed being with Seiko, Ayame, and Rin. It was nice having girl friends who knew everything about her, so that she didn't have to worry about being careful when it came to what she said or did.

At the top of the hill, Rin led them past the actual hotel and around to a small building in the back. As they entered, she directed the others to sit down on the comfortable couches and went to the desk to sign them in. While they were waiting, Kagome tried not to make it too obvious that she was staring at Seiko, but she couldn't stop wondering how she was going to bring up the subject of Matsu. So far, Seiko hadn't exactly been willing to open up about the subject. To anyone else, that might have been a sign that maybe Seiko just didn't want to talk, but Kagome refused to give up. The fact that two of her dearest friends were suffering was something that she couldn't ignore, and she felt a deep need to fix things. But how?

"We're getting massages first," said Rin, walking over to them. Another woman followed and beckoned them to follow her. "Then we're in the hot spring for an hour, followed by facials, manicures, pedicures, haircuts, and make-overs. We'll have a break for lunch at some point, too, since none of us ate very much this morning."

"Make-overs? Haircuts?" Kagome asked curiously, gingerly touching the ends of her wild black hair. A few strands of silver caught the light when she ran her fingers through it. At first the additional length of her hair had been a bit of a pain, but now she found that she liked the way it looked.

"Nothing too dramatic. It's just for fun. You don't have to get a haircut if you don't want to, Kagome-onee-san. But you have to get a new outfit. We're going somewhere fancy for supper tonight, and I thought it would be fun to get dressed up," Rin explained. "I'm treating you to brand new outfits, too, so don't worry about it."

"Thanks, Rin-chan," Kagome said, her eyes sparkling at the thought of shopping. Her family didn't have a lot of money, so the times when Kagome was able to have new clothing were far and few between, especially after she had begun traveling to Sengoku Jidai. Most of their money had gone towards first aid kits and food. "That's sweet of you."

"It's nothing," Rin replied. "Come on, let's go. I've heard the massages here are amazing."

Amazing wasn't the word for it, Kagome discovered ten minutes later. She had originally tended to think hard about how she was going to talk to Seiko, but the second the female masseuse's strong hands met her back muscles, her mind dissolved into a pile of rapturous goo. A groan escaped her mouth as her whole body went limp, and it probably would have taken an attack from Naraku himself to get her off that table. Rin, Ayame, and Seiko seemed to feel the same way, judging by the moans of contentment that she could hear. By the time that the hour was up, and it seemed to go awfully fast, Kagome wasn't even sure that she could move. Every muscle felt pliable, relaxed, and loose, and she nearly fell over when she slipped off of the table. Ayame grabbed her arm and steadied her.

"Whoa, there, girl," she said, laughing. "I don't want to bring you back to Inuyasha with bruises."

"Speaking of Inuyasha, what happened there, Kagome-onee-san?" Rin asked, brown eyes mischievous. The four of them began walking towards the locker room. "I've wanted to ask you all day. Do tell."

Kagome blushed when even Seiko turned and looked at her. "Nothing to tell," she said defensively. "We went for a run and he let me ride on his back. The picnic was wonderful, Onee-chan, thank you for putting so much thought into it," she added, glancing at Seiko. "It was very romantic. I loved being out there with Inuyasha. We had the chance to talk about some things and... I think that we may finally be getting somewhere."

Squealing, Rin leaned over and hugged her happily. "Oh, Kagome-onee-san, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that," she said excitedly.

"What about you, Onee-chan?" Kagome asked, pulling away from Rin and sending a glance in Seiko's direction. "Have you talked about... things... with Onii-chan?"

Her sister stiffened at the question. They had arrived at the locker room and she had been undressing while listening to Kagome's tale. Now, she kept her back to the other girls and pulled her bra and underwear off, placing them inside the locker before she picked up her towel. Kagome couldn't help noticing that whereas Sango had possessed the ugly scar of Naraku's cruelty on her back, Seiko's skin was smooth and unblemished. Seiko closed her locker and walked over to the door of the bathing area, and for a minute Kagome thought her sister wasn't going to answer her at all. So she was surprised when Seiko spoke.

"There are no things for Matsu-san and I to talk about, Kagome-chan."

"Onee-chan?" Kagome turned, but Seiko had already pushed through the door to the bathing room. "Onee-chan..."

"Keep trying, Kagome-chan," Ayame urged, pulling her top up over her head. "I can smell that the two of them still like each other in that way. I'm not sure what's holding them back, but if anyone could figure it out, it would be you."

"Do you want us to give you some privacy?" Rin asked.

"I don't know," she sighed. "Nothing I say seems to come out right. Maybe give us a few minutes."

She finished undressing quickly and went into the bathing room with her towel. Seiko was nowhere in sight, which meant that she had either bathed extremely fast or skipped the process entirely and gone out into the hot springs already. Even though it wasn't proper etiquette, Kagome wrapped her towel around her body and bypassed the bathing area to walk out onto the rocks bordering the hot spring. It was an indoor hot spring, meaning it was different one than they had been in the night before. At first, she didn't see Seiko anywhere, and she was wondering if her sister had slipped past them somehow when she heard a muffled sob. Kagome's heart twisted and she rushed forward to see Seiko looking out the window, shoulders trembling in a way that meant she was upset.

"Onee-chan, what's wrong?" Kagome asked, somehow knowing that she should keep back for a moment, even though her instinct was to try to comfort Seiko. "Why are you crying? I only want to help you."

A sob escaped Seiko, but when she turned and looked at Kagome, she was smiling, even though her eyes were damp with tears. "I know you do, and I love you for it, Kagome-chan. You haven't changed at all. I just don't think that this is something you can fix."

"Maybe if you told me, I could try," she answered gently. "Please, Onee-chan."

Seiko took a deep breath. "I never really wanted you to know, but... It's... you know how we... died, right? Naraku told you." Her hands tightened into loose fists. "Without you and Inuyasha, Houshi-sama and I weren't strong enough to destroy Naraku, even though we kept searching for him. Houshi-sama made the decision that he didn't want to attempt to have children that would suffer through the same curse when we didn't know when Naraku would die." She lowered her head. "We both knew the end was coming..." More tears fell down her cheeks. "It came a lot sooner than we expected. All of the abuse his Kazaana had taken while we were travelling... Less than two months after Inuyasha and Shippou-chan went into the well, his Kazaana just went out of control."

Horrified, Kagome swallowed hard. "O-Onee-chan..."

"I remember being so terrified," Seiko whispered, her gaze distant, as though she was seeing something else entirely. "I've never been so scared in my life. But Houshi-sama was so brave. He asked me to leave him and keep living for him. I started to walk away, but in the end I couldn't do it. I turned and went back to his side. Even though he begged me to leave, he clutched onto me when I got to him, and I knew he didn't want to d-die alone." Her whole body shuddered, and she pressed her fingers to her lips for a moment. "The Kazaana swallowed us both. At least it didn't hurt."

"I'm so sorry." Kagome started to take a step forward, but Seiko shook her head, waving her off.

"It's alright, Kagome-chan. It was a long time ago. I dream about it sometimes, and that's awful, but I still think that I made the right decision. I had already lost one family. The thought of losing another altogether was unbearable. I couldn't have made it alone," she said, looking determined. "I'd make the same choice again."

"But... then I don't understand what's stopping the two of you from being together. I think you're still in love with him, and he's obviously still in love with you. Are you afraid of Onii-chan's Kazaana?" she asked.

"A little," Seiko admitted, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But that's not the problem. I can get over the Kazaana. I know that it's always going to be dangerous, but that's fine. It's Matsu-san who is stopping things. He feels so guilty over what happened, and... I think he's afraid that the same thing is going to happen for a second time. We kissed once, but afterwards he pushed me away and said that he couldn't let me take the risk of sacrificing myself a second time. Sometimes I catch him staring at his hand like he would like nothing better than to cut it off. The Kazaana absolutely terrifies him."

"Oh!" Kagome's hand flew to her mouth, and she realized that she should have guessed this was the problem from the beginning. She remembered Inuyasha's words – that Matsu sometimes dreamed about the death of Miroku and Sango and woke up crying out Sango's name. How terrible must it be to remember? Sympathy warred with guilt, and she straightened. "Onee-chan, are you alright? Will you be okay if I send Rin-chan and Ayame-chan to be with you?"

"I'm fine. But where are you going?" Seiko asked in confusion.

"To do something I should have done the second I met you guys," Kagome said with a smile. She walked back through to the bathing area and found Ayame and Rin dawdling by the door, clearly eavesdropping. "Could you guys go and keep Onee-chan company?"

"Sure," said Ayame. "But where are you – "

Kagome didn't wait to hear the rest of Ayame's question. She ran out of the bathing area, through the locker room, and headed out of the spa itself at full tilt. Once she was back in front of the hotel, she came to a stop and tipped her head back, breathing in deeply. Smells, including dozens of scents, flooded her nose. Closing her eyes, she stood perfectly still while she sorted through them, searching for the right one. Matsu's scent was essentially the same as Miroku's – well-worked gold, ink and paper, and just a hint of cologne. Her nose twitched and she sneezed when she locked onto it. Her head automatically swivelled until she was facing the direction that the scent was coming from. The direction of the outdoor hot springs.

"They're_ in_ the hot springs," she realized. Ignoring the strange looks that she was getting because she was only wearing a towel, Kagome raced into the forest, following the short path towards the main part of the hot springs. Matsu's scent became stronger with every step that she took, and it didn't take her long to track him down to the exact place: a small, males-only hot spring around which she could only smell five people: Inuyasha, Shippou, Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Matsu. Without hesitation, Kagome made sure that her towel was still covering everything essential and walked straight in.

The youkai and hanyou had obviously sensed her coming, because five sets of eyes watched her enter. Sesshoumaru, Kouga, and Inuyasha were all sitting in the hot spring in separate corners. Shippou was perched on the edge of the spring with just his little legs dangling in. Matsu was sitting on one of the rocks, wearing only a towel that was hitched around his hips. Kagome zeroed in on him and went right over to him, ignoring the strangled sounds coming from Inuyasha.

"Kagome-sama, what are you doing?" Matsu asked, sounding remarkably calm considering a half-naked woman was stalking towards him.

"Something I should have done a long time ago," she answered, reaching for him. Silently, she wrapped her arms around Matsu's shoulders and hugged him.

Needless to say, Matsu was shocked, and his arms wavered uselessly in the air around Kagome's hips, as though he wasn't quite sure where to put them. Not even he would have dared to grope Kagome in this situation, not when Kouga had already had to place a restraining hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. His head was cushioned against Kagome's bare shoulders, rather close to a certain area that was covered only by a flimsy towel. He was having some trouble keeping his mind out of the gutter until she spoke in a quivering voice.

"I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry. We should have been there to help you. Instead, you and Sango-chan died alone, and I'll never forgive myself for that."

"K-Kagome-sama..." Matsu whispered, stunned.

"But you don't have to be afraid anymore," Kagome went on, squeezing her eyes shut to hold back the tears. One escaped and slipped down her cheek, landing on one of Matsu's hands. Violet eyes widened. "I promise you, Onii-chan, that I won't let that happen to you again. I swear that Inuyasha and I will stop him before it comes to that. So please don't be frightened. Please. You don't need to stay away from Onee-chan anymore. We won't let it happen that way this time. I _promise_."

Matsu's eyes were still wide as her words processed. His shoulders began to shake, and suddenly he pressed his face into Kagome's chest and wrapped his arms around the small of her back, holding onto her for dear life. More tears ran down Kagome's face as she felt his whole body tremble, and she heard the sound of soft sobs that he was clearly trying to hold back. Behind her, Inuyasha, Kouga, Sesshoumaru and Shippou slipped out of the hot spring area to give them some privacy. Kagome smiled to herself, thankful that she had such understanding friends, and gently stroked Matsu's hair in an effort to give him some comfort, knowing that this was one promise that she would give her life to keep.

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Please review!


	14. Visit to the Hot Springs Part III

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the reviews. I love hearing from other InuxKag shippers. It makes me really happy. I wasn't sure where to go with this chapter, but it occurred to me that the world just doesn't have enough Inuyasha/Kagome fluff... And thus the ending to this chapter was born. I'm actually pretty satisfied with how this chapter turned out overall; I had a bit of trouble at some parts but overall I think it went in an excellent direction. Here's hoping you all agree!

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Chapter 14: Visit to the Hot Springs Part III

Later that night, Kagome was seated on a plush, extremely comfortable couch beside Matsu, sipping from a cup of tea that she had prepared in the little kitchenette of the house. She had chosen not to go back to the spa after speaking with her brother in the hot springs. Instead, the two of them had spent most of the day together, and Matsu had told her a lot of details about his life that she hadn't previously been aware of. Like the fact that he had an older brother who was due to inherit the temple that their parents ran, so Matsu was free to choose to do whatever he wanted with his life. Or the fact that he'd once had a younger sister, but she had died when Matsu was only five years old from an unexpected complication from a fever. He was in the middle of telling her about his parents when the door opened and Seiko walked in, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Matsu and Kagome openly stared in silence, shocked by the transformation. Gone was the casual clothing that Seiko normally lived in. She was now wearing a form-fitting, soft pink dress that did wonders for her complexion and brought attention to her dark brown eyes. Her hair had been artfully arranged in sweeping curls on top of her head, with a couple of enormous pink blossoms tucked here and there for extra decoration. The classy but simple white gold-and-diamond jewellery she wore and the expertly applied make-up helped to complete her stunning package. All in all, she looked absolutely breathtaking... and Kagome could tell that Matsu was speechless, which a rare but extremely positive sign.

"Onee-chan, you look beautiful," Kagome said with a smile, giving Matsu a pointed poke in the ribs with her elbow. He snapped out of his daze and coughed.

"Yes, Seiko-san, you _are_ amazing," he said, his voice holding a level of sincerity that made Seiko turn pink with pleasure. Matsu stood up and crossed the room to stand in front of her while she was floundering for a response. He took one of her hands into his and gently kissed the back of it. "I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you and not taking your thoughts on the matter into consideration. I should have realized that trying to protect you is not only impossible, but also not my place."

"I'd like it to be your place," said Seiko softly. She smiled hesitantly. "I know that you're not Miroku, because I'm not Sango, but... my love for you has never diminished, Matsu." Her blush grew darker when she spoke his name without attaching an honorific, but she kept going. "I've felt that way for you even before my memories returned to me. I never really dated anyone because some part of me was waiting for you. But I knew that you were frightened by the thought of the Kazaana and what that might mean for us. I was willing to wait for you, but I... I hope you won't make me wait any longer."

"Seiko..." Matsu ducked his head, pressing his lips against the soft skin of her hand a second time. "I'm so sorry. You're right; the Kazaana _was_ holding me back. I have to admit, Miroku was better at hiding how much the Kazaana bothered him than I am. It seems like every night I have nightmares about our deaths, and sometimes I imagine it happening all over again," he confessed. "I didn't want you to be close to me for that reason. I was trying to protect you, but..."

Kagome chose that moment to stand up, attracting the attention of both of them. "But there's no need to worry about it this time," she said with a confident grin. "We're going to destroy Naraku long before the Kazaana ever becomes an issue, I promise you that. Please don't hold yourself back just for that, Onii-chan, Onee-chan. Inuyasha and I are here this time, and we're not going _anywhere_. We'll defeat Naraku together."

"Kagome-chan..." Seiko whispered, tears sparkling in her eyes. She didn't need to say anything else. The level of gratitude in her dark brown eyes was enough for Kagome, who winked and backed out of the room to give them some privacy. As she went to close the door, she witnessed Matsu taking Seiko into his arms and giving her a long, sweet kiss. Tears of joy filled Kagome's eyes as she quietly crossed the kitchen, opened the back door of the house, and slipped outside. Her sister and brother were together again, and no matter how long a road there was in front of them, she knew that this was how things were supposed to be.

"Well?" Rin demanded, startling Kagome so badly that she actually jumped even as she whirled around. She hadn't noticed that all of her family was standing just outside the door waiting to hear how it had gone, even Sesshoumaru and Kouga... though she suspected that Rin and Ayame had something to do with their presence. "How did it go?"

"Judging by the kiss I just saw, pretty well," Kagome replied, brushing the tears from her eyes. Inuyasha approached and dumped Shippou into her arms, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. It was the first time he'd shown her that kind of affection in front of other people, and she gave him a happy smile in return as she cuddled a sleepy Shippou closer. "I think that Onii-chan finally understands that he doesn't need to worry about the Kazaana this time around."

"Keh, I could've told him that," Inuyasha muttered, his free hand resting lightly on Tetsusaiga's hilt. "I haven't met up with Naraku yet. That bastard's developed the good sense to stay the fuck away from me. But the moment that I do..." The anger in his voice made the threat clear.

"With my blessing," said Kagome, who wouldn't have minded the chance to use her arrows up close and personal. She lightly stroked the shards of shikon no tama around her neck. Grief didn't seem to affect the shards, but raw anger and hatred... Sometimes it was difficult trying to keep a lid on her emotions when she loathed Naraku so much.

"Not to change the subject from the Naraku hatred, but I'm glad that they've managed to patch things up," said Ayame, glancing up at the house. "It was frustrating watching the two of them dance around each other."

Looking over at her, Kagome went to speak and stopped, realizing for the first time that both Rin and Ayame were just as dressed up as Seiko had been. Rin had her hair swept up in a style that was similar to Seiko's, only with a simple, sapphire-studded piece as opposed to flowers. The sapphires complimented the dark blue gown that she was wearing. Ayame's hair had been curled and left loose around her shoulders, which looked excellent with the little black dress that clung to her every curve and the strappy black sandals that made her legs seem that much longer. Kouga certainly seemed to have a deep appreciation for the amount of leg that his mate was showing off, as he kept glancing at Ayame with a devious smirk, and Sesshoumaru's arm was wrapped around Rin's waist in an unusually possessive manner. Kagome pressed her cheek against the slumbering Shippou's hair in a vain attempt to hide her amusement.

"I see your day was successful," she said at last.

"Very, and don't think that you're home free just because you spent the day with Matsu-san," Rin told her, holding up a white shopping bag that Kagome hadn't noticed before. "Inuyasha, I'm going to have to borrow Kagome-onee-san for a little bit while you guys get dressed."

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha plucked Shippou out of her arms. The little kitsune gave a sleepy yawn at the unexpected movement and curled into Inuyasha's shirt. She reached over and patted her son on the head, a little surprised that Inuyasha hadn't protested in the slightest even though she hadn't seen him all day. That meant one thing: that he already knew where they were headed. As though to confirm her suspicion, he shot her a grin.

"You'll see," Rin said airily. "I told you were going out for dinner earlier, remember? Just because you weren't around doesn't mean you missed out on the shopping experience. Now, come on, we'll go in through the kitchen in case Seiko-chan and Matsu-san are still preoccupied."

Rin hustled Kagome through the door without another word of explanation, giving the younger girl absolutely no time to complain. Ayame followed them up to the room that Kagome was sharing with Seiko and Shippou and closed the door as Rin burst into action. Kagome sat down on her bed and watched in bemusement as Rin began removing things from her bag – a make-up bag, hair accessories and brushes, a curling iron, and a large box that she set down on the bed with the upmost care. She didn't know how crazy she was about giving Rin and Ayame permission to do whatever they wanted, but she didn't have the heart to tell either one of them otherwise when she saw how excited that they were. Instead, she obediently went to take a quick shower under Ayame's direction and returned to the room in record time, where she was promptly forced into a chair.

"Are you having fun here, Kagome-onee-san?" Rin asked, picking up a small compact. She pressed her lips together as she flipped the compact open and held it next to Kagome's face, and then nodded in satisfaction. Gently, she dipped the end of a brush into the blush, swirled it around, and blew on it before dusting it over Kagome's cheeks. "Close your eyes."

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"We were wondering about your mother," said Ayame carefully, ignoring the way Kagome stiffened. "You haven't spoken to or of her in some time. Miho-chan and Jin-kun have been watching over the shrine just like always. Jin-kun tells me that every day, he sees your mother kneeling in front of the Goshinboku, weeping and praying. Megumi-chan says that your brother has been stressed by what happened between you two, and he confided in her that he's worried about what will happen between you and your mother."

Kagome licked her lips and didn't say anything for a minute. She'd known that sooner or later, someone would have the guts to ask, although she hadn't expected that it would be Rin and Ayame. Even though she had managed to fix the problem between Seiko and Matsu, the issues between she and her mother were still looming. Neither mother nor daughter wanted to be the first to give in, so Kagome wasn't entirely sure what to do. There was no way she was going to allow herself to be separated from Inuyasha, but the longer she went without speaking to her mother, the worse that it would get, and she had already left it too long as it was. As much as she loved Inuyasha and her new family, she didn't want to cut herself off from her old one entirely, which meant that it was time to suck it up.

She sighed as Rin began smearing something cold over her lips. "I'm going to talk to my mother when we return."

"I think that's a smart move," Ayame observed as she leaned against the wall, watching over the two of them at a safe distance. "It won't be an easy talk, but I have the feeling that she really cares about you, Kagome-chan. I could tell from the way she wouldn't let me into the house to speak to you when you were ill. As a wolf youkai and your friend, I know you can't be taken from Inuyasha, but as a mother, I can understand that she's only trying to do what's best for you when it comes to a world that is completely foreign to her."

"Do you... believe I'm being too harsh on her?" Opening her eyes, Kagome glanced into the mirror and was pleased to see that the make-up Rin was applying looked very natural. Darker mascara and subtle green eyeshadow made the gold in her eyes pop, and the deep pink gloss that Rin had placed on her lips made her mouth look full and plump.

"No, not necessarily. I think she's wrong to try and separate the two of you and you need to find a way to make her understand that. However, I also know that when it comes to our cubs, I_ never_ look forward to the day that they start looking for mates because Kouga is a bear every time," said Ayame, rolling her eyes. "He can't accept that they've grown up and are ready to move out of the den, and he ends up fighting it every time. Maybe that's how it is for your mother. She resents the fact that she has to let you go, particularly when she doesn't fully appreciate the world you've moved into."

Kagome mulled that over silently as Rin stood up and began working on brushing her hair. When she was younger, and returning to Sengoku Jidai every few days, Kimiko hadn't really liked listening to her tales, however edited that they were. She'd always thought that it was because her mother was worried that she would be hurt, but now she realized that maybe there was another reason. Maybe Kimiko had lived in fear of the thought that one day, Kagome would just disappear down the well and not return. Certainly, Kagome had never done anything to lay that fear to rest: the more time that she had spent in the past, the more that world had consumed her life. The future had seemed so unimportant when every day in the past was a fight between life or death, and no doubt her mother had realized that. Even though she was still angry, she knew it was time to cut her mother a break.

"I guess you're right," she said slowly, wincing as Rin pulled on a particularly stubborn tangle. "I just never thought about it like that. My dad died when we were just kids, so she was the only one who really cared for us growing up. My grandfather tried to help, but there was only so much he could do. I remember when I was younger, I overheard her asking Jii-chan what she was supposed to do with Souta and me. She was terrified to raise us all by herself." She paused, surprised by the memory, which she hadn't thought about in years. Yet it was so vivid, and she could almost hear her mother's terrified voice.

"It's always hard when you're on your own," Rin said softly. "There was a time several hundred years ago when Sesshoumaru had to leave me for a few months in order to deal with some threat to our land. We only had two pups at the time, but I remember that it was very difficult. I felt so lost without him at my side. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to do it on my own." She paused for a moment and gave a few final tugs on Kagome's hair, then smiled broadly. "There."

Relieved for the change in subject, Kagome eagerly glanced into the mirror and saw that Rin had gathered the strands of hair that normally framed her face and pulled them straight back with a fancy clip that was studded with what looked suspiciously like real diamonds. The hairstyle highlighted her hanyou ears and drew attention to the fact that she didn't have human ears. Kagome touched the smooth skin where her human ears had once been and found herself smiling. She liked the sophisticated air that the hairstyle lent to her, as it made her look much older than she really was.

Taking that as a positive sign, Rin urged her to stand and then went over to the box she'd placed on the bed. She pulled out an expensive set of black lace underwear and handed them to Kagome, and then she and Ayame turned their backs. Taking the hint, Kagome took off her bathrobe and slipped the underwear on. It fit better than most of her own things. The bra was strapless and had been fashioned to go with the dress that Rin took out of the box. She couldn't help gasping when she saw it. It was beautiful: form-fitting, strapless, and long with a high slit up the right side; the color was a rich shade of red that was almost a perfect match to Inuyasha's fire-rat robes.

"Rin-chan, I can't accept that," said Kagome, stunned. She reached out a hand, just barely brushing the soft fabric. "It's gorgeous, but it's way too much."

"Yes, you can, and you will," Ayame replied. "Believe me. This is going to be a special night, and if you don't wear it, you'll regret it later on."

"Do you two know something?" she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. Rin and Ayame exchanged glances and giggled. "You do! What's going on?"

Ayame chuckled again and tossed a strand of fiery red hair over her shoulder. "Never you mind. Now turn around and let us help you into the dress." Carefully, she lowered the dress and helped Kagome to step into it. The fabric melded to her every curve as Ayame tugged the dress into place and zipped it up. She smoothed it over Kagome's hips as Rin took out a simple pair of black shoes with a two-inch heel and set them down in front of Kagome, who obligingly stepped into them.

"I feel like Cinderella," she said, sounding dazed. At first she thought that the woman in the mirror looked almost like a stranger, but then she realized that wasn't right at all. No, she was gazing at a future version of herself: the strong, confident woman that she would someday become. The thought was almost eerie, and she was relieved when the cool weight of a necklace settling around her neck distracted her, until she noticed what Rin had given her. "Are these... real diamonds?"

"No," the two of them said together immediately.

Knowing that they were lying, Kagome frowned at them, but she couldn't really be angry. The necklace was lovely – gold with a simple diamond pendant – and combined with the dress and the work that Rin had done, the effect was truly startling. "Thank you," she said with a bright smile.

"You're welcome. Let's go. If we take too much longer, Kouga will go without us," Ayame said, slipping her arm through Kagome's. "I hope you mate with a patient man, Kagome-chan."

Kagome snorted. "Have you _met_ Inuyasha?" she asked wryly.

Rin giggled as she trailed behind them as the three of them walked down the stairs. "That reminds me, Kagome-onee-san. I hired a sitter from the hotel to stay here with Shippou-chan. It will just be you and Inuyasha tonight."

She had intended to say something – thank you, perhaps – but at that moment, she entered the living room and caught sight of Inuyasha. Instantly, all thoughts except for how amazing he looked vanished from her mind. He was wearing a black suit that had been paired with a white shirt and a red tie. As good as he'd always looked in just regular clothing or his fire-rat robes, the effect of him in evening wear was truly startling. Kagome stopped short and openly stared, her mouth open just a bit. Fortunately, Inuyasha appeared to be just as struck by the sight of her, as his jaw nearly hit the floor when she walked in.

"Ka... Kagome..." he stuttered. "You look... wow."

Wow, huh? Kagome's mouth closed and she smirked, amused and more than just a little thrilled to know that she could provoke that sort of reaction from him. "You look pretty wow yourself," she teased, belatedly realizing that while they had been staring at each other, the rest of their family had gone ahead.

Inuyasha smiled weakly and held out his hand to her. Touched, Kagome intertwined their fingers and allowed him to lead the way out of the house. They fell into a comfortable walk side by side at a pace a bit slower than usual due to the fact that Kagome wasn't used to wearing heels. He didn't seem to mind, though. If anything, she could tell that there was something on his mind that he was anxious to talk about, because he kept glancing at her and then looking away. She was curious as to what could make him so nervous, but knew better than to ask him outright. That would just make him clam up. Instead, she searched for a topic that might put him more at ease.

"Things seem to have settled between Onee-chan and Onii-chan," she ventured.

"Yeah. You did a good thing, Kagome," he said, offering her a smile that made her heart flip. She gave him a shy smile in return and then looked away, blushing. They walked in silence for about a minute, until the hotel was visible. Inuyasha's grip on her hand tightened and he stopped, causing her to halt as well.

"Inuyasha..." she began, curious.

"Kagome – " he started at the same time. Their eyes met and both of them smiled.

"Go ahead," she said, tilting her head. "What is it?"

"I... Kagome, you know that I care for you," he said, looking nervous and shoving his right hand deep into his pocket. "You... You're everything. More than I ever could have imagined."

A deeper blush spread over her cheeks. "Inuyasha... I love you, too."

He nodded. "Kagome, I... I want to ask you a question."

Kagome gave him an encouraging smile. "You know you can ask me anything, Inuyasha."

Too fast for human eyes to follow, and almost too quickly for hers, his hand sprang out of his pocket, bearing with it a small velvet box. Kagome gasped when she saw it, knowing intuitively what it held, and stood frozen as Inuyasha held it out towards her. "Kagome," he said softly. "Will you be my mate?"

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Please review!


	15. Attack at the Hot Springs

**A/N:** The response to the last chapter was awesome. I'm happy that everyone liked my scene between the two of them, though I noticed that a lot of you said that you knew it was coming. I guess I'm predictable that way, but that's okay. For those who were curious, the scene between Kagome and Kimiko isn't too far away (probably two or three chapters), but I haven't planned the rest of the story out, so I can only give you my best guess. In the meantime, enjoy the story!

Sankon-tetsusou = Iron Reaver Soul Stealer

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Chapter 15: Attack at the Hot Springs

The night air was cool, and the gentle breeze against her cheek and hair was the only thing that reassured Kagome that she wasn't dreaming. She slowly moved her eyes up from the little velvet box to Inuyasha's face, which looked so open and earnest that she knew he was completely serious. Her first thought was that Ayame and Rin had definitely known and purposely kept it a secret, which was really annoying; she normally loved surprises, but this was one that she had absolutely no idea how to handle, and she would have liked a little heads up. Feeling almost dizzy, she licked her lips and looked into his golden eyes, searching for the truth.

"I don't understand," she said at last. "I thought we were already... from the ritual?"

"We are," Inuyasha admitted. "But... if we never went any further, you could still mate with someone else and break the bond we share." His fingers tightened around the box at the very thought. "We're only loosely connected at this point. You could still..."

Kagome was shaking her head before he'd even finished. "You know I don't want that," she said firmly. "I want to be with you and no one else. That's what I've always wanted, from the day I met you." Her gaze fell to the box, which he was still holding out to her, and she reached out and took it. The velvet was smooth and soft to the touch as she opened the box and gasped at the sight of the ring nestled inside. Her eyes widened as she admired the pure gold band, which had a fairly large, oval-shaped diamond fixed on top. Sitting on either side of the diamond was a ruby and an amethyst. "Inuyasha, this must have cost you a fortune. And... it's beautiful, but why a ring? I didn't think that youkai used rings in mating rituals..."

"We don't, but I know you've been fighting with your mother about me," he said quietly, his ears lowering. "I hate that, Kagome. I know you love your mother, and she adores you. I don't want to be a source of trouble between the two of you. I thought that maybe if she could see a symbol that she's familiar with... One that she understands... She might be more okay with you being with me."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered, touched to her very core. She knew that her mother's problems ran far deeper than just a misunderstanding of youkai rituals, but she also knew that an engagement ring and the idea of an actual marriage would go a long way towards soothing Kimiko's ruffled feathers. Inuyasha was completely right: it would give her mother something concrete to hold on to, and that would help a great deal. Blinking back tears, she dropped the box back into his hand and smiled at him when he looked confused. "Well? Aren't you going to put it on my finger?"

"Are you sure, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. "Mating is a lot more serious than this marriage thing humans do. Seiko told me that marriage can be broken, but once you're mated to someone, that's it. It's forever."

Forever with Inuyasha, just being at his side. Somehow, that thought was incredibly appealing and she grinned, shaking her left hand expectantly. "My ring, Inuyasha."

His eyebrows rose, but he obligingly drew the ring from the case and slipped it onto her ring finger. Kagome glanced down at her hand, fascinated with how the ring made her fingers look longer and more slender. She tilted the ring, causing the diamond to catch the light, and realized that the ring was a perfect comparison to Inuyasha himself, with his youkai side and human side combining into one perfect hanyou. Whether that was a deliberate design move, she wasn't sure, but it made the ring that much more perfect.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm sure it will make my mother feel better, and you have no idea how much it means to me that you asked me to be your mate."

He said nothing but simply looked at her, his golden eyes deep and warm, and she knew that he did understand how much it meant, because he had felt the same way when she'd accepted his ring. After a moment, a teasing smile spread across his face and he said, "You know, you never actually said yes to me."

"I didn't?" Kagome mentally ran the last few minutes over and realized that he was right. "Oh, well, in that case, my answer is a resounding yes."

"Good," he said, reaching out and sliding an arm around her waist. Before she could react, he leaned down and kissed her, enjoying her shock at the sudden action. It was the first kiss that he had ever initiated. Even when he'd been with Kikyou, he hadn't quite dared to kiss her, and had always waited for her to make the first move. With Kagome, he felt no such hesitation, and he knew he'd been right to feel that way when she sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We should get going," she said regretfully when they broke apart. "I really don't want to hear Onee-chan smacking Onii-chan when he can't resist the urge to grope her anymore."

"We've been caught!" Matsu groaned, smacking his hand over his eyes. He, Seiko, Rin and Ayame had been huddled inside the bushes to the right of the path, spying on Kagome and Inuyasha while Kouga and Sesshoumaru held their table at the restaurant. His hand twitched and he glanced over at Seiko mischievously, thinking that he should take Kagome's words to heart. After all, Seiko _had_ said that she was willing to take the good with the bad...

"_Pervert_!" The word rang out across the grounds, accompanied by a slap.

"Too late," Inuyasha said with a smirk, keeping his arm around Kagome's waist as they turned to meet their friends. Seiko was fuming, though the pink in her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes told Kagome how happy she was that Matsu had attempted to grope her. Rin was giggling and Ayame was rolling her eyes as she dragged a semi-conscious Matsu out from behind the bush. "That's what you get for spying," the hanyou called.

"You wound me, Inuyasha. Don't you know men should stick together?" asked Matsu, gingerly rubbing his right cheek. A bright, angry red spot throbbed beneath his fingers.

"Not when that man is you, Matsu."

"Oh, Kagome-chan, it's beautiful," Seiko said, ignoring the men as she leaned over and admired Kagome's ring.

"I know," Kagome said, her cheeks flushed with pride and joy. She cast Inuyasha a glowing look and added, "It's perfect."

Inuyasha preened at the compliment, and his voice held only a hint of nerves when he asked, "Do you think it will be enough for your mother?"

"It's probably more than she could have ever dreamed of," Kagome told him. She knew her mother's wedding ring was a very simple silver band with three tiny sapphires fixed across the top. Her parents hadn't been able to afford anything else at the time that they'd gotten married, and her father had passed away before he'd gotten the chance to buy her another one. The sight of Kagome's ring was likely to put Kimiko into a state of shock; it had no doubt cost more than it did to feed their family of four for a year. "I told you, it's perfect. Even if she didn't like it for some reason, I do, and..." Her eyes twinkled. "I'd say I'm the one who matters more."

"I'm sure your mother will like it too," Rin commented. "It's obvious that Inuyasha put a lot of thought into picking it out." She checked her watch. "As much as I don't want to break this up, I think we should get going. I'm sure my mate has probably terrified the waiter or waitress into a state of submission by now."

Inuyasha smirked. "Wimps," he muttered.

Hiding a smile, Kagome slipped her right hand into his and gently tugged, urging him to walk. He fell into step beside her with Rin, Ayame, a suspicious Seiko, and Matsu right behind them. Kagome knew that there had never been a day in Inuyasha's life where he feared Sesshoumaru, but he sometimes seemed to forget that not every hanyou or youkai possessed the kind of strength and power that he did. By all rights, Sesshoumaru would someday be her older brother, and she wouldn't have liked to face him if he was angry or upset, either. She hoped that Rin would tip the staff well to help smooth things over.

Their small group approached and entered a building to the left of the main hotel, which proved to be an extremely expensive-looking restaurant. It was the kind of place that Kagome wouldn't have dared to enter if not for her fancy outfit and the fact that she was being escorted by Inuyasha with the others right behind her. As it was, the host gave them all a quick once-over that made her feel like the man could see straight through the luxurious clothing that she was wearing. She fidgeted uncomfortably as he began to lead them through the restaurant to their table, and Inuyasha pulled her aside before they got there, ducking into a small alcove that appeared to have been built for exactly that purpose.

"What's wrong?" he asked flatly.

"What makes you think anything is wrong?" Kagome said innocently.

He gave her a look. "Kagome..."

"I just feel weird, that's all," she confessed, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to leave the alcove without telling him the truth. "I'm not used to this kind of life, Inuyasha. A big outing for my family was the chance to go down to the local ramen shop." Her cheeks turned pink, and she dropped her gaze. "It just... it's a little strange, that's all."

"Kagome..." Inuyasha reached out and tilted her chin up, so that she had no choice but to look into his golden eyes. "I'm sorry that you feel uncomfortable. We can go somewhere else, if you want."

Kagome smiled. She knew that he would do it, too. "No, that's alright. I don't want to make it seem like I don't appreciate Rin-chan and Ayame-chan for all they've done, because I do. It will just take some getting used to, that's all." She glanced around and spotted a waiter going by with a tray full of pricey food. "Though I'll try not to get too used to it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I hardly doubt we're going to live with Sesshoumaru and Rin-chan forever," Kagome replied, surprised that he had asked. "I didn't think that you would want to. Onee-chan and Onii-chan will probably want to live with us, at least for a while, and so will Shippou-chan. I doubt we'll have much chance for a lavish lifestyle, even if there was a job that you could..." She cut herself off suddenly, hoping that he wouldn't take her comment the wrong way. To her surprise, Inuyasha was grinning.

"You don't have to worry about that, Kagome," he told her. "I had planned to tell you later, but if it's worrying you, I don't mind letting you know now. Sesshoumaru set up a bank account for me several years ago, and a small percentage of everything that his company makes is deposited into it. That money is for you and I to use for our pack. I'm not sure how much it is exactly, but Rin assured me that it's a substantial amount. Enough for you and me and our pups, and for Kirara, and Seiko and Matsu and _their_ pups if they want to live with us for a while."

"And you're alright with taking money from Sesshoumaru?" she asked hesitantly.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't like the idea," he admitted. "I hate feeling like I owe that bastard anything, and I'd prefer it if I could support you all on my own. Maybe someday, I'll be able to. But technically the Western Lands belonged to my father, and Sesshoumaru only inherited them because he was older and a youkai instead of a hanyou. I could have contested it, but I didn't. Now that his children are hanyou and he has a human mate, I think he sees hanyou differently than he did before. Plus, he told me the money came with a catch. I have to destroy Naraku." A smirk crossed his face. "It's worth accepting money from Sesshoumaru to hear him admit that he's not strong enough to defeat Naraku without my help."

A giggle escaped her before she could reign it in. "That must have just killed him."

"It was pretty satisfying," he answered, his smirk growing wider at the memory. "Do you feel better now?"

She nodded. "I didn't want to make it seem like I felt ungrateful, because I don't. I was just trying to be realistic, that's all. I didn't want you to have to live with Sesshoumaru forever."

"He's still a bastard, but I guess on the whole, he's not that bad," said Inuyasha. When he saw her raised eyebrows, he grinned and added, "Five hundred years, a mate, and pups have a way of changing of someone for the better."

"How true," Kagome said with a laugh as he stepped forward. She turned at the same time, intending to head out to the table at his side, and froze when she felt the ground beginning to tremble beneath her feet. Her right foot came down wrong and she stumbled as her ankle twisted, sending her falling against Inuyasha as cries and screams came from the other patrons in the restaurant. He gripped her by the upper arms and helped her to find her footing as she winced. "Ouch! What was that? An earthquake?"

"Nothing as lucky as that," Inuyasha answered, his expression tense. Keeping his right hand wrapped protectively around her waist, he went to move his free hand to his waist and swore. "Fuck! I don't have Tetsusaiga with me."

"What?" Horrified, Kagome looked down. She'd been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed that Inuyasha wasn't wearing the sword, and he must have been so nervous he hadn't thought about needing it. "We've got to get back to the house!"

He nodded grimly, his face shadowed. "Can you sense it, Kagome? Is it Naraku?"

Kagome obligingly closed her eyes and cast her miko senses out. It took her a moment to get past all of the youkai and hanyou that were present and focus on the source of the rumbling, but she eventually found it. Whatever it was, it wasn't Naraku himself, but she could tell that it was enormous, strong, and pulsing with the power of a tainted shard of the shikon no tama. She opened her eyes and looked at Inuyasha, who didn't need to hear her say anything to know what the expression on her face meant. He tightened his grip on her waist and hefted her up so her feet were off the ground, then burst out of the alcove, heading towards the front door of the restaurant with a few well-timed leaps.

A loud growling sound met them as the two of them emerged outside, followed by several other patrons who immediately began running in the opposite direction. Ignoring them, Inuyasha swore when he saw what they were up against. As Kagome had sensed, it was a large youkai, an alligator she thought, with blazing yellow eyes and a wicked mouth of several dozen sharp teeth. Scaly green-and-yellow striped skin glimmered in the twilight as it swung around to face them and hissed. A tail, about twenty feet long, lashed through the air, heading straight for them. Inuyasha pushed Kagome aside and leapt straight up into the air.

"Sankon-tetsusou!" he bellowed. The youkai gave a roar of fury as the attack bounced off, and Kagome realized that the hide was too tough for even Inuyasha's claws to penetrate.

"Inuyasha!" she cried helplessly, wishing that she had her bow and arrows. Even with her hanyou ability, she knew that there was nothing _she_ could do if even Inuyasha was having difficulty fighting. Inuyasha was stronger when she was around for him to protect, but ultimately, she was a liability; he couldn't completely focus on the youkai when he was worried that she would be in danger. With that thought in mind, she jumped up, intending to go and find Tetsusaiga, but she stopped when she saw that the rest of their family had already come out to join them. Kouga and Sesshoumaru leapt to help Inuyasha immediately. Ayame and Seiko followed a beat later, causing the youkai to scream in rage and lash out with its tail again. Ducking for cover, Rin and Matsu ran to Kagome.

"Kagome-onee-san, what is that?" Rin shouted.

"I don't know. It came out of nowhere!" Kagome yelled back, looking at Matsu. That close to the youkai, she could sense more details, and it wasn't good information. "Onii-chan, there are at least three or four shards in its forehead, and Inuyasha doesn't have Tetsusaiga with him!"

That information caused a grim look to come over Matsu's face, as he knew that not even the Kazaana would be a help in this case. All three of them turned to watch the battle. The alligator was incredibly fast even for a youkai, and its tail was doing an excellent job of keeping Inuyasha, Kouga, and Sesshoumaru away from its face.. As long as the shards were in its forehead, there was no way anyone would be able to get close enough to do anything. Seiko, holding a sword in her hands, tried to attack from the right and got caught in the side with its tail. Her body was sent flying into the air as she cried out in pain. Kouga grabbed her before she could begin to fall and set her down safely. Matsu ran to her side, leaving Kagome and Rin by themselves.

"I wish I could do something," Kagome whispered, watching the fight intently. If the combined powers of so many weren't enough... what could an untrained hanyou or a miko without weapons do to help? She knew that she should be running for Tetsusaiga, but it was hard to make herself leave. What if something happened while she was gone? A hand touched her shoulder and she glanced back to see that Rin was standing right behind her.

"I know something that might help," Rin said loudly, forcing herself to be heard above the sounds of the battle. "Come on!"

"But...!" Kagome protested, knowing that Rin was right.

Rin ignored her and grabbed Kagome's arm, physically yanking the younger girl along until Kagome gave in, kicked off her shoes, and finally started running alongside of Rin. The two of them raced back down the hill towards the cottage. As they approached, the door flew open, and the baby-sitter that Rin had hired staggered out. Blood was pouring down her face and body from gaping wounds, and she gave a weak, gasping gurgle before collapsing on the ground. Filled with panic and fear over Shippou's health, Kagome forgot all about Tetsusaiga a she jumped over the body. Rin knelt to check on the woman, leaving Kagome to rush into the house. Part of her was expecting to see Shippou in the same state, but a quick search of the upstairs revealed that the little kitsune was safe in Inuyasha's bed, sound asleep. He awoke as Kagome hurried in.

"Mama, what's wrong?" he asked sleepily. The ground trembled and Shippou instantly became more awake, not needing to see Kagome's tense expression to know that something was wrong. He leapt off of the bed and into Kagome's arms as Rin stumbled into the room. Her hands and the hem of her beautiful dress were soaked with blood.

"She's dead," she gasped. "Something must have tried to come in and she fought it off. She was a tiger youkai. They'll do anything to protect cubs, no matter who they belong to."

"Thank Kami-sama for that." said Kagome grimly, cradling Shippou to her chest. Now that she was away from the alligator youkai and the overwhelming cloud of evil, she could sense that there was more than one youkai around. That meant that there was an excellent chance that the alligator had been sent as a distraction. But from what? "Rin-chan, you said you knew something that might help. What were you talking about?"

"Oh!" Rin's face brightened in recollection and she left the room. She returned in less than a minute, proudly carrying something that was very familiar: the bow and arrows that Kagome had received as a gift from Kikyou. Kagome gasped when she saw the weapons and was across the room in seconds, reaching out to take them as Rin spoke. "Sesshoumaru's men found them in that building that Naraku was keeping you and Miho-chan in. He hired a priest that he knows and trusts to perform spells over them to make sure that Naraku hadn't left a nasty surprise. We got them back right before we left to come here. I've been waiting for the right chance to give them to you, but I never had time."

"Thank you, Rin-chan," she said gratefully, slinging the arrows across her back. It felt good to have them back in place. Shippou hopped up onto her shoulder and held on tight as she freed an arrow and notched it her bow. She motioned for Rin to follow her and crept back down the stairs, ears pricked for the slightest hint of a sound. Tetsusaiga hadn't been anywhere upstairs, which meant that it was somewhere downstairs, and she was pretty sure that they weren't alone in the house. The likely target of the whole attack were the shards of the shikon no tama that Kagome had in her pocket, but she had no intention of giving them up, and that meant it was time for a fight.

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Please review!


	16. Winds of Time

**A/N:** As you read this chapter, keep in mind that the damage Inuyasha takes is generally reduced because of the fire-rat robe that he wears. Kagome doesn't have that extra protection, so even though she's a hanyou, she sustains more damage than you might otherwise think. Also, I spent a good hour (or more) trying to think of a hanyou attack for Kagome. I finally came up with one after a great deal of time and research – honestly, it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'm crossing my fingers that it's at least half decent. Enjoy!

Teishijikan no hoippu = Whip of Stopping Time

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Chapter 16: Winds of Time

Taking care not to knock anything over or to make the slightest bit of noise, Kagome crept towards the living room, where her night with Inuyasha had begun. She edged around the corner, her eyes scanning the room for the Tetsusaiga, and smiled grimly when she spotted the sword on top of the table in the dining room. Unfortunately, there was also a slender, shadowy form standing guard in front of the sword, and the smell of blood was so strong in the air that she couldn't identify the intruder. Her body tense, Kagome summoned her miko power into her arrow and fired. Instantly, the person's head snapped up and a hand rose. Fierce winds whipped up, blowing the arrow off course and slamming into Kagome with enough force to send her and Shippou tumbling backwards into Rin. All three of them went down in a heap as the low, familiar laughter of a woman rang throughout the room.

"Who _is _that?" Kagome asked as she climbed off of Rin. The sound struck a chord, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it, and her senses were too muddled for her to be able to identify it. Concerned, she grabbed for her bow and strung another arrow as the woman stepped forward just enough for the light to illuminate her features. Gasping in shock, Kagome lowered her weapon without thinking and took an instinctive step back. "Kagura?"

Kagura looked at her with a completely blank, emotionless gaze as Kagome studied her. Where once the wind youkai would have taken the greatest of care with her appearance, her hair now hung in a greasy, tangled mass down below her shoulders. Her face was completely white, and her eyes had no pupils at all. Just chilling circles of flat, pale maroon. The kimono she wore was torn and covered with blood, including a particularly large patch over the spot where her heart would have been. That in itself was shocking to see, but the biggest change of all was the slow, sluggish way in which she moved. Kagome was instantly reminded of the times that she and Inuyasha had fought youkai or humans that had been possessed. Had that happened to Kagura? Was Naraku controlling her?

"Kagura, is that you?" she whispered uncertainly. She knew that Kagura had died, but then again, she wouldn't have put it past Naraku to have found a way to bring the woman back under his control anyway. "Can you hear me?"

A raised hand was her only answer. Realizing that Kagura didn't need to speak to invoke her attacks, Kagome instantly spun and shoved Rin and Shippou of the way as she dodged the blades of wind. She winced as the blades tore a large hole in the side of the house, knowing that the attack would have likely killed all three of them, and quickly notched another arrow to her bow. Her miko power illuminated the arrow with a gleaming pink light as she pointed it in Kagura's direction.

"Please stop this!" she cried out. "Kagura, you don't have to do this. We'll destroy Naraku and you can live in peace, just like you always wanted."

There was a pause during which something in Kagura's dead eyes flickered, and Kagome held her breath, hoping, her eyes pinned to Kagura's face and her hold on her weapon loose. She never noticed the movement of the fan, and as the wind whipped up, she realized that it had been a ploy to distract her. Kagura's powerful wind blew the roof right off of the house, sending wood and debris in every direction. Kagome leapt to the side as a large piece of timber landed where she had been standing, then cried out as something heavy struck her in the back of the head. Her knees buckled, sending her to the ground, and she found herself coughing harshly from inhaling the dust as pain vibrated down her shoulders.

"Kagome-onee-san!" Rin yelled, sounding panicked. Her voice was coming from the direction of the kitchen. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

"Shit," Kagome whispered, gingerly touching the back of her head. Her hair was wet and when she drew her hand away, it was covered in blood. She tried to ignore the pain as she called out, "Rin-chan, don't move! If you're near Tetsusaiga, get into a room and put the sheath – "

"Mama! Watch out!"

Shippou's frightened voice was the only warning she got. A hand gripped her shoulder and harshly flipped her body over. As pain radiated from the back of her head, Kagome stared up into Kagura's bloodless face. That close, she could smell the strong scent of death on the woman, and that confirmed her suspicion that Kagura was indeed still dead. How ironic that a youkai who had been able to force the dead to dance for her would have come to the same fate! A swell of pity flashed through Kagome, and she lifted her hand just in time to stop a direct blow from Kagura's claws with her wrist. Blood dripped onto her face as the razor sharp claws dug deeply into her flesh, but Kagome forced herself to ignore it and concentrate.

"I won't let it end this way," she hissed, lifting one of her legs. She kicked out sharply, slamming her knee into the lower half of Kagura's body. The momentum forced the wind youkai off of Kagome's body, allowing Kagome the chance to get to her knees, but she was moving far too slowly. Kagura lifted her fan again as she landed and lashed out. Kagome cried out helplessly as the vicious wind blades slashed through her skin. It was pure agony. Never in her life had she known so much pain. Weakly, she collapsed back onto the ground as Kagura turned in the direction of the kitchen.

The wind blades had cleared the dust from the air, so for the first time, Kagome got a good look at how her companions had weathered the debris. Her son appeared to be alright except for a deep scratch down one cheek, but Rin was seated, her hands wrapped protectively around her right ankle. She flinched backwards when Kagura took a step forward, revealing that her ankle had swollen to twice its normal size and turned an ugly purplish black color. Rin made an attempt to stand up, but her ankle folded under her weight, leaving her a prime target for Kagura. Shippou leapt forward, fox fire burning around his fingers, but a simple wave of Kagura's fan took care of him. Kagome's eyes widened with rage as her baby was blasted off of his feet and into what was left of the nearest wall.

"No! Kagura, stop. Don't do this!" she screamed, trying and failing to get to her feet. It hurt too much, and not even a hanyou body could take endless damage. Kagome looked around frantically, searching for something that would serve as a weapon. Her bow was gone, and she had no idea where it had landed or even when she'd lost it. Shippou was still in the room, so she couldn't let out a blast of miko energy without running the risk of killing him as well. She felt her heart pounding in fear as Kagura neared Rin and the other woman whimpered in fear. The only thing she could think about was her intense desire to protect her family. "No, oh Kami-sama, it can't end this way. Someone please help me!"

A soothing warmth pulsed from the pocket of her dress where she kept the shards of the shikon no tama. Feeling like she was watching everything from a distance, Kagome's hand rose and she plucked a single silver strand of hair from her head. As she brought her hand down, the strand of hair began to glow gold. In seconds, it morphed into a long, thick whip that was at least a dozen feet long. With a twist of her unwounded wrist, Kagome sent the whip snapping towards Kagura. At the same time, she shouted, "Teishijikan no hoippu!"

The main part of the whip wrapped around Kagura's stomach just as she would've brought her fan down. Her whole body froze as that same golden color covered her from head to toe. Rin opened her eyes slowly and, realizing that the attack had somehow been stopped, scrambled away on her hands and knees. Kagome summoned all of her strength and used her miko senses to locate Inuyasha's sword. Weakly, she crawled over to Tetsusaiga, which was much closer than she would have guessed, and planted the sheath in the ground to form a barrier, just in case Kagura regained the ability to move. Then she turned an alarmed gaze towards Rin.

"Are you okay, Rin-chan?" she said anxiously.

"I'm fine," Rin said with a weak smile, her eyes darting towards Kagura. "Except for the obvious. You were so cool, Kagome-onee-san. How did you do that?"

"I have no idea," Kagome admitted. She looked down at her hands and then cautiously touched the ends of her hair. How _had_ she done that? Inuyasha had special attacks as a hanyou, but she had never expected that the same thing would happen to her. The power had just been there when she'd asked for help. "It just... came to me."

"You were really brave," Rin told her, squeezing Kagome's hand gratefully as Shippou stirred and sat up with a bewildered expression. "What will you do to her?"

That was an excellent question, and one Kagome wasn't sure how to answer: Kagura was technically already dead, but she wanted to set the woman free for good. She supposed there was only one way to do that now. Using what was left of the wall for support, she got to her feet and stepped past Tetsusaiga's barrier. Kagura was still frozen in time, and she suspected that the woman would be that way until Kagome chose to release her. Looking deeply into Kagura's empty eyes, Kagome rested her hands on Kagura's shoulders and closed her own eyes. Her miko power was there instantly, rising to the surface in a gleeful rush when she summoned it. Kagome allowed the power to trickle down her arms and into the palms of her hands. Bright pink light illuminated the wreckage as Kagura's body was slowly purified, making sure that no one could ever use it for ill intent again. As Kagome's hands fell to her sides and the dust was swept up in the natural wind, she could have sworn she heard a very soft voice whisper...

"Thank you."

... Before the sound of Rin trying to stand up distracted her. The corners of Kagome's lips rose in a smile, and she lowered her head for a moment, taking just a second to remember the fierce warrior who had desired freedom so much. "You're welcome, Kagura," she murmured. "I hope that from now on, no one will ever be able to control you. You're free, just like you always wanted."

"Kagome-onee-san, I'm sorry, but I could really use some help," Rin gasped.

"Oh, sorry." Kagome pulled Tetsusaiga from the ground and tucked it under her arm as she stumbled back to Rin. Between Kagome and the wall, Rin managed to get to her feet. "Here, lean on me."

"Are you sure? You don't look very good."

"I'm fine," said Kagome. She was only aware of how very _not_ fine she was when Rin leaned heavily on her right shoulder. Bruises she didn't even know that she had began to ache, and her left side, where Kagura's blades had done their damage, absolutely burned. Gritting her teeth, she wrapped an arm around Rin's waist and took one agonizing step after another while Rin hopped awkwardly and painfully beside her. Fortunately, although Shippou looked a little dazed, the kitsune was capable of walking by himself.

The distant sound of fighting, swearing, and crashing met the three of them as they emerged outside. Kagome glanced up just in time to see Kouga being tossed aside by one of the alligator's claws as... she stopped short and blinked in amazement, wondering if she had lost so much blood that she was seeing things._ Another_ alligator youkai, equal in size and apparently strength to the first, had appeared at some point and was keeping Inuyasha and Ayame busy. From the looks of things, their family was just barely able to keep a step ahead of the incredible speed being shown by the two alligator youkai. She and Rin exchanged grim, worried looks before beginning to make their way down the path and towards the hill. How they were going to climb that hill, Kagome had no idea, but she knew she had to get the Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha before anything else happened. But that was easier said than done. With each step, Rin lagged a little more, and when they got to the bottom of the hill, she shook her head and slipped to her knees.

"I can't," she said raggedly, her face pale. She wrapped her hands around her ankle, shivering from pain and exhaustion. Her ankle was even more swollen than before. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, it's okay. You've come far enough," Kagome reassured her, blinking back tears of pain and frustration. "Shippou-chan, stay here and protect Rin-chan, okay? I'm going to get Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha."

"Mama, do you want me to take it?" he asked, looking worried.

"No. If something attacks Rin, I can't protect her," Kagome explained. She didn't want to let on to either Shippou or Rin the full details of the damage Kagura had done, but it was bad. The left side of her dress was completely saturated in blood, and she was beginning to feel lightheaded. Every step sent a fresh wave of agony through her body. "I'll be alright. Inuyasha isn't that far away."

Shippou didn't seem all that convinced, but he nodded reluctantly and hopped into Rin's lap. Kagome smiled wanly and turned, forcing her body to keep going up the hill at the fastest pace that she could manage. She called out to Inuyasha once or twice, but none of them seemed to be able to hear her. If she could get close enough to give Inuyasha the sword... that was the only thing that mattered. Taking a deep breath, Kagome clutched the Tetsusaiga in both hands and used the sword to help support her as a cool, refreshing wind blew by, ruffling the ends of her hair. Almost instantly, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kouga, and Ayame turned to look in her direction, no doubt having smelled the blood on her clothing. Inuyasha's jaw dropped when he saw her and both he and Sesshoumaru abandoned the fight to sprint towards her. Relieved, she finally allowed herself to fall to the ground.

"Kagome, what the fuck happened to you?" Inuyasha demanded as Sesshoumaru raced by them, hurrying to Rin's side. He knelt beside her, shocked by the blood that was pooling onto the ground, and tentatively touched her cheek. Kagome's eyes opened and a faint smile touched her lips.

"Inuyasha... I got the Tetsusaiga for you..." Weakly, she indicated the sword. "I'm sorry... that I couldn't bring it to you sooner."

"What happened?" he repeated, his voice gentle. His golden eyes flashed with barely suppressed rage as he pulled his jacket off and gently tucked it around her body. Kagome winced with pain from the movement, but having Inuyasha's clothing and scent around her was too comforting for her to protest.

"It's a long story," she told him with a weary smile. "Go. Destroy those youkai, okay?"

Inuyasha picked up Tetsusaiga but hesitated, clearly unwilling to leave Kagome when she was so wounded. A hand touched his arm and he glanced over his shoulder to see Matsu and Seiko, who was leaning heavily on Matsu's arm. "Go," Matsu said, helping Seiko to sit beside Kagome. "We will protect Kagome-chan, Inuyasha."

"I'm holding you to that," the hanyou replied, drawing forth his sword. He turned, rage burning in his eyes, towards the alligator youkai that had kept him from being there when Kagome needed him the most. Ayame ducked an attack and spotted him coming. Moving quickly, she twisted, grabbing her mate and dragging him free of the scene. Once the two of them were out of the way, Inuyasha leapt forward, raised the Tetsusaiga, and summoned his attack. "Kongousouha!"

Squeals of pain filled the air at the two alligator youkai were obliterated, leaving behind a gory scene of blood and half dissolved bodies. Inuyasha tucked the Tetsusaiga back into its sheath and ran back to Kagome's side. She looked up at him and smiled with relief, then raised her arms as an indication that she wanted to be picked up. Carefully, he reached down and lifted her into his arms, freezing whenever she so much as grimaced. He was so terrified of hurting her more that Kagome would have laughed if she hadn't been in so much pain. As it was, she settled for squeezing his shoulder in thanks.

"Take me up there. We need to get the shards," she whispered into his ear.

"Are you sure you feel up to it?" Inuyasha asked with concern.

Kagome flashed him a soft smile, realizing just how much Inuyasha had changed during the past two years. There had been a time when retrieving the shards of the shikon no tama would have been the most important thing to him, no matter what else had happened. Now he was more worried about her. "As long as I don't have to walk, I'll be fine."

Unsurprisingly, he didn't appear to be all the reassured by her statement, but he obligingly carried her the rest of the way up the hill to where Kouga and Ayame were standing. Kagome glanced at her friends in concern; Kouga was sporting a dark bruise on one cheek and clutching his right arm, and Ayame's black dress was torn and dotted with blood. Realizing that Kagome was worried about them, Ayame flashed her a comforting smile and gave a subtle shake of her head. Relieved, Kagome turned her attention to the pool of blood, bone, and body. She could feel the tainted shards calling out to her. It was like a high, sharp humming in the back of her mind. All she had to do was pinpoint the spot where it was coming from.

"There." Her hand rose and she pointed. "And there. You see, over by what's left of that, err, head?"

Kouga picked his way through the remains and collected the shards, following Kagome's directions until she was sure that all of them had been retrieved. He returned to them and dumped the six shards into her hands. As the four of them made their way back towards the hotel, Kagome cradled the shards against her chest and closed her eyes, summoning her miko powers. Slowly – very slowly, because she was more exhausted than usual – the black shards began to sparkle as they were purified, until every one shone with a beautiful, soft pink light. She couldn't get to the little container in her pocket without causing a lot of pain, so she slipped them to Matsu when he and Seiko caught up with the group.

"Sesshoumaru has taken Rin and Shippou into the hotel and called for his doctors," Matsu told them, sliding the shards into the pocket of his pants. He and Inuyasha were the only ones who weren't sporting any noticeable injuries.

"Good," Inuyasha said, his grip tightening a little on Kagome. The strong scent of her blood was making him dizzy, and he could tell that Kagome – although she would never admit it – was in a lot of pain. He cradled her body closer to him as he carried her into the hotel and silently vowed to himself that whoever had hurt her so badly would pay dearly.

"This way, Inuyasha," said Ayame, pointing to the hotel's small infirmary. Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Shippou all glanced up when Inuyasha carried Kagome inside. Shippou whimpered at the sight of his mother and turned his head into Rin's side. Rin gently stroked his head, looking distressed.

"Kagome-onee-san, are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

One of the doctors that had been clustered near the corner began to step forward to attend to her. Sesshoumaru quelled his progress with a cold glance. "This Sesshoumaru has summoned several competent doctors. Do not touch her," he warned. The man turned pale and immediately retreated from the room. He was quickly followed by the rest of the hotel's employees.

"I'm fine," Kagome assured them once she was sure that they were alone. She held back her wince as Inuyasha slipped her arrows off of her back and placed her on the bed next to Rin's. He was trying his best to be slow and careful, but even the gentlest of movements made her whole body throb. It felt good, though, to be lying down with her family clustered around her. Even without her bow, she felt safe. The thought reminded her that she had lost her weapon, and she reached out and caught Inuyasha's arm. "My bow. I lost it in the house. Can you send someone to find it for me?"

"Of course, Kagome-chan," Matsu answered for Inuyasha. "As soon as we know what's going on, I'll go and find it myself."

"Thanks. It was Kagura," she added, realizing that they were all waiting for her story. As one, the entire group stiffened. "I don't know how, but her body had been possessed by Naraku. She was trying to steal the shards of the shikon no tama and attacked us when we returned to the house to find the Tetsusaiga. During the fight, she hit me with her wind blades and then brought the roof of the house down on top of us... that's how Rin-chan hurt her ankle. I managed to purify her, though, and we escaped the house with Tetsusaiga in hand." She had deliberately skipped over the part where she had discovered her new attack, and she cast a glance at Rin and Shippou, silently asking them to be quiet. There was no telling who was trustworthy in this hotel, and one of Naraku's minions could be anywhere. That kind of information was best left discussed at a secure location. Rin nodded, understanding the request, and patted Shippou's head.

"You were lucky," Seiko said weakly. Matsu had helped her into a seat beside Kagome's bed, and she looked more comfortable, though her arms were loosely wrapped around her waist in a way that indicated she was still in some pain. "Kagura was a very dangerous opponent. She could have killed you."

"I wasn't afraid. Kagome-onee-san was very brave," Rin said calmly, smiling at Kagome. "There was no doubt in my mind that she would win and we would survive."

Kagome blushed, uncomfortable with the praise as Rin began to ask questions about the other battle that had been fought that night. Honestly, she knew that she had handled the fight badly. A seasoned warrior like Inuyasha or Seiko wouldn't have made nearly so many mistakes. She never should have stepped around the corner without checking first, or allowed herself to drop her bow, or even turned her back on Kagura. Any of those mistakes could have gotten herself, Rin, and Shippou killed, and after having participated in battles in the past for nearly two years, she should have acted a lot more responsibly than she had. Yes, she had ultimately managed to purify Kagura, but the fight could have_ easily_ taken a turn for the worse.

Was it because she was out of practice, or because she had learned to depend on Inuyasha and her family too much? Kagome frowned pensively as the door opened and the doctors Sesshoumaru had summoned began to flood in. It was likely a combination of both, which meant that she had to start learning to rely on her own strength. She glanced down at her hands, examining the ring that she'd been given just a few hours ago. Inuyasha would always be there for her, but he deserved to have someone strong at his side who would be able to help him, not hinder him. As the doctor began ushering everyone except for the wounded, Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru from the room (the latter two because both refused to budge from the bedsides of Kagome and Rin), she decided that maybe it was time to think about taking up the offer of some additional training after all.

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Please review!


	17. Forgive Me

**A/N:** One hundred reviews! Thank you everyone. I was really excited to reach that number before twenty chapters. I didn't get any negative comments about Kagome's power, so I'm guessing that everyone thought it was okay. In regards to this chapter, it includes a very important scene that I know a lot of people were waiting for. I just hope that I managed to do it justice. Enjoy!

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Chapter 17: Forgive Me

Hanyou healing power, Kagome swiftly discovered, was an awesome thing. No wonder Inuyasha was always up and about so quickly. Within two days of returning to their home, she was able to get out of bed and walk around slowly without too much pain. The cuts on her side had healed at an amazing rate, and even though it still hurt to sit down or stand up, she knew that it was time to go speak to Kimiko. It had been over a week since she'd spoken to her mother, her brother, or her grandfather, and she missed them. With that in mind, she made a quick call on the phone in her room, took a long shower, and got dressed in a loose red blouse and a jean skirt. Knowing that Inuyasha would be angry if he caught her out of bed so soon, she tried to keep silent as she walked down the hall. She'd nearly made it to the front door and freedom when a clawed hand fell on her shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" Inuyasha demanded. "And what are you doing out of bed?"

Kagome sighed internally as she turned to face him. As much as she loved Inuyasha, he could be a real pain sometimes. You'd never think that the hanyou could be such a worrier, but he was, especially when it came to her or the rest of his pack. It was endearing until she wanted to go somewhere by herself and he freaked out. "I'm going back to the shrine, Inuyasha," she said patiently, taking care not to refer to the place as "home". She had noticed that he liked hearing her refer to the mansion as home and made it a point to do so as often as she could.

"By yourself? Kagome, you're still wounded, and Naraku could be anywhere, just waiting for the opportunity to attack," he said, frowning. "What were you thinking? Can't this wait?"

"No, it can't. I have to speak to my mother," Kagome told him firmly, absently twisting the ring he'd given her. It had become a habit. "The longer I put it off, the harder it will be, and that's not fair to either one of us. Really, Inuyasha, I'm fine. My side doesn't even hurt at all." That was a lie, but she knew that if she admitted to even a little bit of pain, he'd have her back in bed so fast she wouldn't have time to blink. "And I'm sorry, but you can't come."

Inuyasha's amber eyes widened slightly, and a hurt look crossed his face. "Why not?"

"It's not about you," she said gently, reaching out and stroking one of his ears in that way that he loved. "I need to speak to my mother alone. As much as she loves you, I know that it will make her nervous if you're there. She'll feel like I'm pressuring her to see things my way, and that won't make the talk go very well at all. You'll have to wait here for me."

"No way," the hanyou said flatly. "You're not going alone."

"I never said I was," she replied with a smirk.

As if on cue, a beaming Miho burst out from the hall to the right of the doors, dressed in a similar outfit to Kagome: jeans and a red sweatshirt. "Kagome-oba-san, I'm ready!" she called, running over to Kagome. She stopped short when she spotted Inuyasha, and her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Inuyasha-oji-san? Are you coming too?"

"I'm afraid it's going to be just us girls," Kagome said, patting Miho on the head. She thought that having Miho along might soften Kimiko's opinion of things. The little girl was adorable. "See, Inuyasha? I have company."

"That's not what I meant!" Inuyasha snapped. "Miho's a child. She can't protect you."

Studying the worried look in his eyes, Kagome softened. He was just trying to look out for her safety, after all. "Alright, if it means that much to you... Kirara!" She turned towards the stairs, pretending not to notice his double-take. Clearly he'd been expecting that she would agree to allow him to come along. Kagome swallowed a giggle as the fire youkai came bounding down the stairs with a soft mewl of curiosity. Seiko and Matsu weren't far behind. "Onee-chan, do you mind if I borrow Kirara for a while? I want to go visit my mother."

"Of course not. I think Kirara would love to go," Seiko said. She was moving slowly and carefully with Matsu's help. The blow she'd taken from the alligator youkai had badly bruised her ribs, though fortunately nothing had been broken, and she still felt tender even with the help of youkai healing methods.

"There you go. Another hanyou _and_ a youkai, and you can't say that Kirara can't protect me because you know that she can," said Kagome, looking back at Inuyasha. He was still frowning, and impulsively, she leaned forward and went up on the tips of her toes to kiss him. For a moment, he stood firm, but she persisted until he began to kiss her back and his arms came up around her waist. Only then did she break away, satisfied to see that he was smiling, albeit reluctantly.

"Be careful. You attract trouble like crazy," he said. "And if you're not back in exactly two hours, I'm coming to get you."

"I'll come back to you in one piece, I promise," Kagome answered, not bothering to protest the time limit. She knew she was fortunate that he had agreed to let her go without much argument.

He nodded. "I'm holding you to that."

Kagome flashed him one last smile and held her arms out to Kirara, catching the little cat as Kirara leapt up and then crawled onto her shoulders. She took Miho by the hand and opened the door, exiting the mansion into the warm summer breeze. There was a car already waiting for them, because it would've been a good a half hour walk to the shrine and she had no idea how long this talk with her mother would take. Hopefully Kimiko would be receptive, but Kagome wasn't really expecting it to be that easy. Her own legendary stubbornness _had_ been inherited from Kimiko, after all.

"How was your day at school, Miho-chan?" she asked, settling back against the interior of the car. Kirara curled up in her lap, and she began to gently stroke the youkai's soft fur as Miho began to prattle about what she'd done in gym class that day. Kagome listened with half an ear as she watched the scenery flash by the car. The closer they got to the Higurashi Shrine, the more nervous she felt. Miho seemed to sense that, because she fell silent when the car was only about five minutes away.

"Are you okay, Oba-san?" Miho inquired, frowning slightly as the car glided up to the curb. She didn't need her nose to tell that her aunt was feeling incredibly anxious. It was written all over Kagome's face. "Would you rather come back with Oji-san, or maybe Seiko-oba-san or Mama?"

"I'm fine, Miho-chan," Kagome murmured, taking a deep breath as her door was opened. The chauffer extended a hand to help her climb out, and then did the same for Miho, who was clutching Kirara to her chest. Without waiting for the child, Kagome began to ascend the stairs, feeling like she was climbing towards her doom. It was an awful sensation, to be so worried and afraid of talking to her mother. She chewed her lower lip anxiously as Miho caught up and fell into step beside her.

The shrine hadn't changed much at all in the few days that she had been gone, but now that Kagome was able to look at the place with fresh eyes, she could tell that there was a great deal of work to be done. Their house itself looked worn and in need of a fresh coat of paint, and the roof needed to be repaired. Both the little fence around the Goshinboku and the larger one around their property needed to be replaced, and the well house had definitely seen better days – the door was in particularly poor condition from all of the use it had seen. It was quite alarming to see that her mother had let things get to such a bad point when appearance was an important thing for Kimiko. Were they in such a bad state that even the money that had once gone towards her trips to the past couldn't help?

Souta, holding a broom in his hands, came around the corner of the house. He glanced up and his dark eyes went wide. "Nee-san!" he cried out, nearly dropping the broom. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to talk to Mama," said Kagome, casting a quick glance over her brother as she approached him. His clothing could stand to be replaced; his jeans were patched and worn, and his shirt was at least a size too small. He was both thinner and taller than she remembered. She made an impulsive decision and reached into her pocket for some money that Rin had forced on her. "Souta, this is Miho and that's Kirara. Why don't you and Miho-chan go get some ice cream?"

"Really?" Souta hesitated. "I'm supposed to finish sweeping."

"You go ahead. I'll do it after I speak with Mama." She held the money out to him, and when he came close enough to take it from her, seized him in an embrace. Instead of squirming away like he usually would have, his arms gripped her equally tightly. Kagome kissed him on the top of his head and whispered, "I've missed you, little brother."

"I missed you too, Nee-san," he mumbled, releasing her quickly. "What happened to your ears?"

"Hmm?" Kagome blinked, puzzled, and then realized what he was talking about. She grinned. "I still have them. I'm wearing a concealment charm that hides them."

"I'm glad you still have them," Souta said. He took the money from her hand and offered a shy smile towards Miho, who grinned in return. It didn't take the two of them long to strike up a conversation as they walked towards the exit to the shrine. Kagome watched them go and then turned to Kirara.

"Please, go with them?" she requested. "I'm safe here on holy grounds, but I'm worried about Miho-chan and Souta. It's not safe for them to be out alone."

Kirara chirped an agreement and bounded after the two children, no doubt eager for a cold treat of her own. Smiling to herself, Kagome slipped her necklace off and carefully tucked it into her pocket. It was dangerous to walk around with her hanyou ears showing, but she didn't want Kimiko to think that she was a human again, and she was grateful to Souta for reminding her to take it off. Plus, she wasn't sure she felt right about showing up to speak to her mother with a pearl necklace and a diamond ring when the shrine was in such a poor state. She was here to mend bridges, not burn them.

"Mama," she called out, stepping forward and opening the door cautiously. The fact that she didn't feel entirely comfortable entering her childhood home without permission made her sad as she entered. "It's me, Kagome. I've come to talk to you. Are you here? Mama?"

A hand tapped her on the shoulder. Kagome jumped and spun. Her grandfather, looking deeply amused, was standing right behind her. He placed a hand over his lips and beckoned for her to follow him towards the back of the house. Fuming silently, Kagome did. How on earth could he sneak up on her when she was a hanyou? There was just something fundamentally wrong about having a sixty-year-old man with the ability to sneak up on a young hanyou, and she resolved to keep her ears pricked for him in the future.

"Good luck, Kagome-chan," he said quietly, motioning to her mother's bedroom door. For a moment, he clasped her arm, and then he gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you, Jii-chan." Pausing just long enough to give him a quick hug in return, she pushed the door open and ventured inside. The room was dark, as the curtains were drawn across the window, and it was quite warm and stuffy. Kimiko's western style bed was tucked into the corner beneath the window. She could tell from the way the lump in the bed was positioned that her mother was sleeping, which was concerning. Why was Kimiko in bed at three in the afternoon? It was unheard of from a woman who had always advocated early mornings. Worried, Kagome crept soundlessly across the room and knelt beside her mother's bed, putting her on the same level as Kimiko. Gently, she peeled the covers back and took the opportunity to examine her mother closely.

Kimiko was lying on her back, hands tucked against her chest, with her face tilted towards her daughter. Kagome could see that her mother's face was pale, and dark circles lined the puffy flesh under her eyes, like she hadn't slept for ages. She was noticeably thinner, even though only a week or so had passed since Kagome had last seen her. It was clear from the faint musty scent that Kimiko hadn't bathed in a day or two, which was unlike her mother. Concerned and hoping that her mother wouldn't awaken, she reached out and laid a hand against the woman's forehead, feeling for a temperature. She was relieved to note that although Kimiko's forehead was a bit warm, she didn't feel overly hot. A sigh of relief escaped her as she noticed that a pair of dark eyes was watching her.

"Oh, hi," she said softly, quickly drawing her hand back. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Kimiko answered, and coughed once or twice. Her voice was rough, as though it hadn't been used for a while. Kagome spotted a glass of water on the nightstand and picked it up. She held it close to her mother's face and helped the woman drink from the straw. "Thank you, Kagome."

The simple use of her name made Kagome's eyes fill with tears as she placed the glass back down on the stand. With effort, she blinked them away and drew the covers back so that she could slide into the bed beside Kimiko, who shifted to the side to make extra space. "Mama, I've come to talk to you about our fight," she whispered, propping herself up with the help of a pillow. "Do you feel well enough, or should I come back tomorrow?"

Kimiko smiled wearily and reached up so that she could place a finger over Kagome's lips. "I feel more than well enough for this. What has to be said between us can't wait. Kagome, I'm sorry for what I said about Inuyasha. I wanted to protect you, and in the process, I forgot that there are other people who want to do that, too. The truth is, the world that you've become a part of really worries me. It's my greatest fear that someday I'll pick up the telephone and learn that you've died." Her hand shook slightly and she allowed it to drop to the pillow. "But not seeing you for the past few days has helped me to see that the alternative is even worse. I know you love him, and if you need to be with Inuyasha to be happy, I will do my best to accept that."

"Mama..." Kagome's voice broke, and she swallowed hard before speaking. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have been so rude to you. It was wrong of me. I only realized after the fact that there was a lot about my world that you don't understand. That's my fault, because I've never tried to share it with you. It was always easier for me to keep silent instead of trying to explain what we went through. I _am_ in danger, that's true, but even if I wasn't with Inuyasha, Naraku would still be trying to kill me. I'm actually safer with Inuyasha. He'll do anything to protect me. My whole family is the same way. Together, we can win this battle." She paused and studied Kimiko anxiously, wondering if she had gone too far. But Kimiko simply smiled.

"I could tell that they all loved you very much," said her mother. "And I'm so glad you have people like that in your life. I just want you to be careful, Kagome. I want you to grow up big and strong and have a wonderful life with lots of children. I've spent the last day imagining what your babies will look like. I expect they'll be beautiful."

Kagome frowned slightly, puzzled by the almost sombre mood and the tears that had glistened in Kimiko's eyes. She decided to try to lighten things by sharing her news. "I will be happy, Mama. As long as I can be with Inuyasha, I can achieve anything." Her cheeks flushed as she added, "Maybe even children. After all, I'll always be with him. See?" Nervously, she lifted her hand and showed it to her mother. "While we were at a hot spring, Inuyasha asked me to marry him."

Dark brown eyes widened as Kimiko gasped. "Oh, Kagome... it's beautiful." Kimiko summoned the strength to take Kagome's hand and twist it so that she could get the full effect of the ring. "It suits you."

Her cheeks growing darker, Kagome ducked her head and smiled tentatively. "I thought it might make you feel better to be able to see that Inuyasha loves me. That he wants to marry me and protect me, so that you won't have to worry about me so much." She twisted the ring and watched Kimiko's face closely.

"I'll always worry, because I'm your mother, but it does give me comfort," Kimiko answered, smiling. "I'm glad to know that you'll be well cared for when I'm no longer here."

Happy smile vanishing, Kagome stared at her mother. "What do you mean, when you're no longer here? Mama, you're so young. You don't have to worry about that yet." In spite of her words, a faint panic surfaced in the back of her mind, and a sweat broke out over her body. It wasn't because of the heat of the room, though. Something was wrong, and she could no longer ignore it.

Kimiko sighed. "Oh, my Kagome. You've been so busy during the past few years that I never wanted to bother you with this sort of thing. I suppose I was foolishly hoping that a miracle would happen and it wouldn't be an issue." Even though the words were clearly painful for her to speak, her gaze never left Kagome's face. "The past was so important to you, and I was worried that any addition to the burdens you already carried could mean your death." She hesitated briefly. "I want you to remember that it was my choice not to tell you before, and I don't want you to feel guilty."

"What..." She trailed off as fingers touched her lips again.

"I'm sick, Kagome," Kimiko murmured. "Very sick. It's been plaguing me for some time, about a year, but recently it's gotten worse. I feel weak and I want to sleep all the time. I finally agreed to visit the doctor a few days ago after I fainted. He told me that I haven't got very long. A couple of weeks, possibly a month, if I'm lucky."

A sickening feeling gripped Kagome, and she sat up slowly, her expression a mask of disbelief as she struggled to understand the magnitude of what she had just been told. Her mother continued to speak, no doubt offering more details about her illness that were very important, but Kagome was past the point of being able to listen. She frantically tried to cast her mind back, tried to remember if there had been any hints and clues, but... for so long her whole life had been about Sengoku Jidai, and then when she was finally forced to live in the present, she'd been drowning in sorrow over the deaths of her friends and family. Never once had she even stopped to consider that there might be someone else to mourn. Her nails dug painfully into her palms as she tried to focus on what her mother was telling her, and that pain helped to ground her in the moment.

"It's the same disease that your grandmother died from," Kimiko was saying. "It's genetic, so I always knew there was a chance that I would have it. That also means there was a chance that you could have been at risk for it as well. I know that I lashed out at you for becoming a hanyou, and I want to be honest with you right now and say that it's partly because I was a little jealous. I suspect that a hanyou wouldn't be susceptible to this kind of thing, and I knew that you would be free from it." Tears formed in her eyes. "I was disgusted with myself when I realized that. I should have been happy for you, not jealous."

"It's not your fault," Kagome said, finally snapping out of her daze. The room was pressing in on her, and she was suddenly having a hard time breathing, but she clung to her mother's hand and ignored it all. "Mama, are you sure there's nothing that can be done? We could fight this. Sesshoumaru knows some wonderful doctors. Youkai doctors! Surely there's something they can do."

"No, Kagome." Her mother shook her head and squeezed Kagome's hand. "I've accepted this from the beginning, and now you have to do the same. I just don't have the strength to live for miracles cures and treatments, even if one did exist. I'm just so terribly tired all the time. I want to sleep." Her eyes fluttered, and she gave a low sigh, her voice coming out softer. "It will be hard on you and Souta, but I know that you'll take good care of him and your grandfather. I'm so very proud of you, Kagome. I know it wasn't easy to come here and talk to me after what I said to you, but I'm glad you did."

"Mama..." She couldn't say anything else without bursting into tears. Kagome wanted to scream at the injustice of it all, but all she could do was sit there and hold her mother's hand. Already, her mother was slipping away from her. Had been slipping away from her all along, and she hadn't even noticed.

"You're such a good girl," whispered Kimiko. "A good girl, with a brave husband. Such a beautiful ring..." She trailed off and her head tilted to the side as her breathing became slow, even, and deep.

Kagome just sat there for a long time, staring at her mother and struggling to understand. Her mother was dying and no amount of miko or hanyou power would make a damn bit of difference. Very soon, she would be an orphan. The thought of that word sent chills down her spine, and without even realizing it, Kagome began to cry. She laid her head down on the bed and wept helplessly, not caring as her tears stained the bedspread. Minutes ticked by in silence, broken only by soft sobbing, until the door opened and someone entered the room behind her. A comforting scent surrounded her as Inuyasha silently picked her up and carried her out of the room. Her last glimpse of Kimiko was of her mother's hand hanging over the side of the bed, as though in invitation to death.

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Please review!


	18. Kiss the Past GoodBye

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, everyone. I know that having Kagome's mother become sick was an unexpected twist. I hadn't planned for it, but considering it's something I hardly ever see in the IY fandom, I thought it might be interesting. Now I've had this posted on my profile for a while, but I'll re-post it here. This week marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, which means that there is a chance my updates may temporarily become sporadic. I'm going to try to keep working on my fanfiction on the side, and barring any unforeseen circumstances I should be able to do that, but if I miss an update you all know what happened. Having said that, enjoy the story!

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Chapter 18: Kiss the Past Good-Bye

Inuyasha didn't take her very far. He seemed to sense that she was not completely ready to leave her mother, and so instead of taking her back to the limo, he carried her outside of the small home and over to the Goshinboku, where he sat down beneath the tree and leaned against the trunk as he settled Kagome in his lap. She pressed her face into his neck and found herself shivering, even though it was not particularly cold outside. It seemed like months ago that she had been annoyed by the fact that he had only given her two hours before chasing after her, and now she was grateful that he was there. His arms were strong and sturdy around her body, and for once she felt like she didn't have to be the only strong person around.

"Nee-chan, are you okay?" Souta asked quietly.

Kagome turned her head a little and spotted her younger brother standing a few feet away. His black hair was messy and longer than she remembered, and he was taller, level with her shoulders, with clothes that no longer fit quite right. There was a splotch of chocolate ice cream on his blue shirt, and even as she watched he licked his lips, removing the last of the tasty treat from his face. A tremulous smile touched her lips, and Kagome held a hand out to him. Souta hesitated for a moment before he stepped closer and took her hand. Gently, she pulled him onto her lap and into the circle of Inuyasha's arms, so that Inuyasha was holding onto both of them. He was really too big to sit comfortably in her small lap, but neither of them cared.

"I'm sorry, Souta," she whispered, smoothing her hands through his hair as his thin arms latched around her waist. "I shouldn't have left you here to deal with everything all by yourself. That's not fair to you."

"You couldn't have known," Souta mumbled, cushioning his head on her shoulders. Sitting there with the two of them made him feel safer than he could remember feeling for months. "Mama told me that I wasn't supposed to tell you. She said there was too much on your mind and that it was important for you to sort things out on your own. Jii-chan wanted to call you after you guys had that fight, but she made him promise that he wouldn't. But if you hadn't come... I would have told you, Nee-san. I didn't want you to find out after it happened."

A lump grew in Kagome's throat, and she had to swallow before she could speak. "Thank you. I wouldn't have wanted to find out like that," she said softly, trying not to think about how guilty she would have felt if she had only gotten news of her mother's illness after the fact. She continued to play with his hair, which was something that he had always loved as a child. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be alright. It's... hard," he said slowly, as though trying to work out how he was supposed to explain it. "When she told me, I didn't want to believe her. Even though I knew she was sick, I thought Mama would be around forever."

Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away, wanting to be strong for her little brother. "I thought the same way. Maybe it won't be that soon. The doctors aren't always right, you know." But even as she spoke the words, Kagome knew she was offering false hope. Her mother had looked so pale and sick that it was frighteningly easy to think that she may very well be dead long before the summer was out. She shivered again and tightened her grip on him.

"Maybe," Souta said, proving that he had been thinking the very same think she was. He didn't say anything for a moment, but his hands fisted in her shirt, like he wanted to say something but didn't know how. She thought she knew what he needed to hear.

"Souta, I don't want you to worry about what will happen to you," Kagome said, pressing her cheek against his hair. "You can come live with Inuyasha and me. You and Jii-chan both. Okay?"

Souta nodded, his face moving against her stomach. "Okay," he whispered, so soft that even Kagome had difficulty hearing him. "But what about the shrine? What will happen to it? Mama and Papa tried their best to keep it going. I don't want..."

"Don't worry about it, kid," said Inuyasha, speaking for the first time. Souta jumped a little, and then his left hand shot out and grabbed a hold of Inuyasha's shirt, so that he was clinging to both of them. "Your shrine legally belongs to my family. It will always be here if you want to come back to it. In the meantime, we could easily hire some people to stay here full time so that your grandfather can come and go as he likes. There's no way an old man and a child would be able to keep this place running."

Souta frowned, but it was obvious that even he could see the truth in Inuyasha's words. Kimiko rarely tended to the visitors that came, preferring to leave that to Jii-chan, but she did a lot of the other work around the shrine. Kagome used to help, but after she began visiting the past, most of the work had fallen on Kimiko and Souta, because their grandfather simply couldn't handle it. Now that Kimiko was sick, there was way too much for one person to do, much less a student in middle school. He briefly contemplated asking Kagome to move back in, but even though he knew that she would do it, he was aware that that was a sacrifice not even he could ask his sister to make. Kagome needed to be with her family, and as long as the shrine would still be there for when he got older, that was all that really mattered.

"I guess," he said at last, not sounding terribly enthusiastic. "I guess that would be okay."

"And in the meantime, we'll hire a nurse to come help with Mama, and I'm going to try to spend more time over here," Kagome said. "Whenever I can, okay?" She felt awful about the fact that it had taken her mother's death to encourage her to spend more time at the shrine.

"We can't afford a nurse," Souta admitted, his cheeks flushing red at speaking of such matters in front of Inuyasha. Kimiko had done her best to hide it, but he knew that the shrine sometimes struggled in terms of financial matters. The medicine that she needed every month was somewhat expensive, and there were already some repairs that needed to be done that they couldn't afford.

"I told you, don't worry about it," Inuyasha repeated. He shifted, twisting so that Kagome and Souta were settled between his legs instead of top of them. "That's not something for you to be thinking about. Kagome and I will take care of everything, alright? You just worry about going to school and spending the time you've got left with your mother."

A sound that might have been a sob escaped Souta. Kagome gritted her teeth and tried her best to reassure him as he began to cry in earnest, finally releasing the pent up emotions he'd been holding in ever since he'd found out about his mother's impending death. She glanced over his head and caught sight of Inuyasha's amber eyes staring at her. The warmth and understanding in his gaze was almost enough to make her break down as well. She swallowed hard and closing her eyes, willing the tears to stay back. Souta would only get even more upset if he saw that Kagome was crying.

"Don't worry, Souta. It will be okay," she soothed, doing her best to offer him comfort. It was more difficult and awkward than she had guessed it would be. Kimiko had always been the one that both of them went to when they were upset, so Kagome had never had to console her brother like this. She wasn't quite sure what to do, so she settled for running her hands through his hair and humming under her breath, which seemed to help a little. Still, it felt like it took ages before Souta's tears gradually came to a stop, though he still didn't lift his head from her stomach or relinquish his fierce grip on either one of them.

Inuyasha tilted his head, listening to Souta's deep breathing. "He's asleep," he announced quietly. "I'll put him to bed and then we can go home, okay?" He didn't wait for Kagome to argue. Moving slowly and carefully, he unwound Souta's fingers from Kagome's shirt and managed to scoop the younger boy into his arms without Souta waking up. Kagome watched in silence as Inuyasha carried her brother into the house before she stood up and dusted herself off. Her body was sore from being in one position for so long, but she didn't care about the pain.

Hearing a quiet footstep behind her, Kagome half turned and spotted her grandfather entering the well house. She cast a glance at the house and, seeing no sign of Inuyasha, followed the man. It had been a while since she'd entered the well house, but just walking inside made her feel better as she remembered the days when her life had been less complicated. Go to the past, sit Inuyasha, try to get Miroku and Sango together, care for Shippou, dislike Kikyou, and try to kill Naraku. Now everything felt like it was completely mixed up. Her mother was dying, Inuyasha had asked her to marry him, Sango and Miroku had died, Naraku was still alive, and Kikyou was dead.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Jii-chan asked her gently. He was standing in front of the well with his arms crossed. His back was to her, and he made no move to face her as she walked down the steps to join him. "I know that finding out about your mother was a hard blow. I encouraged her to tell you many times, but she felt it was best to keep silent, especially after you argued. I want you to know that I wanted to tell you, and very nearly did on many occasions."

"I know. Souta told me," Kagome whispered, stepping forward until she could look down into the depths of the well. What wouldn't she give to be able to sling her legs over the side and go back to that time? "I'm scared, Jii-chan."

He sighed and finally looked at her, his eyes dark with sympathy. "I wish that there was something I could do for her," he said quietly. "I never expected to have to bury both my son _and_ my daughter."

Those simple words were enough to make fresh tears well up in her eyes, and this time, she couldn't hold them back. One escaped to slide silently down her cheek. The loss of her father had taken a serious toll on Kimiko. Their whole world had been turned upside down. Higurashi Satoru had been a good man who loved his family, and his only goal in life had been to make them happy. Kagome could vividly remember her first day of school, and how proud she'd been that her father had been the one to take her. It was the last time she saw him. Later that night, they'd received a phone call from the police that Satoru had been in a car accident, and apparently, he'd died instantly, without even a chance for help to arrive. Part of her had always wondered whether her father had really died instantly, or if he'd been in pain and fear for a little while beforehand.

"I miss him," she managed to say, crying openly now, unable to stop the tears from falling. "I just know that if he was here, Mama would feel well enough to fight for this."

"That may well be, but there's no use in wishing for what you can't have," he replied. "I found that out when my own late wife died, and again when I had to bury Satoru." His gaze and voice were gentle, as was the hand that he eventually placed on her shoulder. "You've grown into a beautiful young woman, Kagome, and I know that your father would be proud of you, just like your mother and I are. Even though you are too young to have lost both parents, I have every confidence that you will flourish in spite of this."

"Jii-chan..." Impulsively, Kagome fell to her knees, threw her arms around his waist, and clung to him. There had been times when she was younger that she had taken her grandfather for granted. His eccentric ways had annoyed her to the point where she often tried to ignore his wild tales. Even after she'd visited Sengoku Jidai and learned that there was truth to what he said, she had still dismissed his tales and spent most of her time admonishing him for making up bizarre excuses to keep her out of school. She regretted all of it. What if she lost him as well? The thought was terrifying. "Please don't leave me, Jii-chan. Souta and I need you."

Jii-chan chuckled and patted her head. "I'm not going anywhere for a while, Kagome," he said lightly. "And even if the unthinkable did happen, you have many people who love you."

"I know." She sat back on her heels and summoned a smile, even though she felt like crying for days on end. "What are you doing down here, Jii-chan? I thought you hated being around the well."

"Since you're no longer visiting the past, I thought it was time that the well was sealed," Jii-chan answered, taking the hint to change the subject with ease. "I've prepared some special scrolls that I think will do the job."

Kagome looked at the well, feeling chilled. Of course, Jii-chan had a point. Why shouldn't he seal the well? It wasn't as though she could jump inside, and really, it wasn't like she needed to. Everyone she loved most in the world was right there with her in the present time. But at the same time, she absolutely hated the idea. She felt like she was letting go of something important, something that she would never have again. Sniffing, she wiped the tears from her face and got to her feet. As much as she hated the idea, she knew that it wasn't safe to let the well remain unsealed. It was unlikely that any youkai would ever emerge from the well again, but there was always a chance, and any youkai that did get through would threaten the lives of her family. None of them would be prepared to deal with a youkai, and she couldn't face the thought of losing anyone else.

Feeling torn, she hovered uncertainly, her grandfather waiting patiently, until the hair on the back of her neck rose. She twisted and spotted Inuyasha standing at the top of the stairs. For a moment, she saw him clad in his familiar fire-rat robes, impatience in his eyes, preparing to toss her over his shoulder and leap down the well. Then she blinked, and realized that he was actually wearing jeans and a red t-shirt. Tetsusaiga was still at his hip, but his expression was one of love and understanding. Their eyes met and Inuyasha nodded encouragingly, silently giving his permission for her to seal the well for good.

"I'll do it, Jii-chan," Kagome said, never taking her eyes off of Inuyasha's. His presence bolstered her courage. "You can put your scrolls on afterwards, okay?" They wouldn't be needed, but she hated to see his hard work gone to waste. Her grandfather nodded and stepped back. He'd already had Souta help him prepared a rough wooden cover for the top of the well, and he tugged it into place, preventing Kagome from looking down into the depths of the well as she prepared to seal it.

She leaned forward and rested her hands on top of the wooden board, then closed her eyes. As always, her miko power rose easily to the surface when she reached for it. That was where she found herself fumbling, though. Kaede had taught her a lot about her power, but they'd never really had the time for her to learn everything she needed to know. Even though Kagome knew she possessed the power to create a seal, that was a far cry from knowing how, and she wished that someone was there to teach her how to do it for certain. But since there wasn't, she would have to make it up on her own.

Taking a deep breath, she summoned her power and heard her grandfather gasp softly as the shimmering pink light manifested. Carefully, Kagome began forcing her power into the wooden board, urging it to soak up as much as of her strength as possible. The wood trembled under her hands and began to take on a gleaming pink sparkle; whatever youkai or hanyou that touched it would find themselves, if not outright purified, seriously wounded. Kagome smiled slightly in satisfaction as she removed her hands and walked a slow circle around the well, allowing her power to fall from her hands and soak into the ground. Once the circle was complete, she stepped back and clapped her hands together, finishing the seal. It gleamed brightly for a moment before fading away to look like ordinary wood and ground once more, leaving Kagome with a deep sense of exhaustion. An arm came up around her shoulders, and she leaned into Inuyasha's embrace.

"Thank you, Kagome," Jii-chan said, looking impressed.

"You're welcome," she said with a tired smile. Knowing that she couldn't go down the well anymore was hard. That seal had been created to last for a while and shouldn't be disturbed. But her family was still with her, and that was what mattered the most. "It was my pleasure."

Her grandfather gave her a smile and began placing his own scrolls on the well, though they all knew that it wasn't really necessary: if Kagome's power didn't keep the well sealed, nothing would. Inuyasha observed him for a short time, making sure that the scrolls wouldn't interfere, before he scooped Kagome up in his arms. She was half-asleep, and only gave a murmured protest when he nodded to Jii-chan and took her up the stairs. The elderly man watched them go with a sad smile on his face. Although at one time he had protested the hanyou, he was now relieved that Kagome had Inuyasha's support. He was certain that she would need it in the coming months.

**IKIKIKIK**

_ This time, the endless grey skies and misty pink fog were familiar enough to Kagome that she didn't panic. As she gazed into the endless abyss, she remembered falling asleep with Inuyasha, Miho, and Kirara in the limo. Somehow she'd ended up hearing. She brushed her hands over her shirt and belatedly realized that she was not wearing the jeans and blouse that she had started the day out in. Her clothing now consisted of bare feet, long white pants, and a pale pink shirt with white flared sleeves that fit closely to her upper body. The cloth felt thick and tough, sort of like Inuyasha's fire-rat robes. Around her neck were the shards of the shikon no tama that they had collected, and she was wearing her bow and arrows across her back._

_ Footsteps sounded behind her and she twisted, not alarmed but ready to fight just in case a threat had somehow entered the space. Kikyou raised an eyebrow at Kagome's reaction and calmly folded her arms, looking less than impressed. Her appearance was exactly the same as Kagome remembered, with the white and red miko robes and her long, dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail. The only difference was that Kikyou's face no longer looked like cold marble. Her cheeks were flushed with pink, and her dark eyes had an oddly knowing sparkle to them._

_ "Kikyou! What are we doing here?" Kagome asked, relieved that she would be able to get some answers._

_ "You're the one who summoned me here. You tell me," the miko replied, stopping a short distance away. "You are grieving. I can sense that your soul is at unrest. What's wrong?"_

_ Kagome blinked and then looked at the ground. "My mother is ill," she said shakily, biting her lip to keep from crying. "She will die soon, and there is nothing that I can do about it."_

_ "I'm sorry," Kikyou murmured, inclining her head. "But I don't understand why you called us here."_

_ "Neither do I..." Allowing her voice to trail off, Kagome looked around again, then down at her clothing. "Why am I dressed this way?"_

_ "It's a sign of things to come." Kikyou half-turned, folding her hands behind her back. "Naraku is still alive, Kagome. You must kill him soon before he does irreparable damage to the world. Many things have been changed already because he is still alive."_

_ "We're trying. He's stronger than I remember, and the years have taught him to be even more clever. We haven't even come close to him yet. I know I should have killed him when I had the chance," Kagome confessed, wrapping her fingers around the shards. Holding onto them gave her some form of comfort. "I'm sorry that I didn't."_

_ Kikyou glanced at her. "As my reincarnation, you need to learn to be stronger."_

_ "Hey, I'm trying," Kagome said defensively, a little insulted. "It's not like I've had many chances to walk up to him and take him out. I have other things to worry about, too."_

_ "But that is most pressing, is it not?" she challenged._

_ "Yes. No. I don't know." Groaning, Kagome rubbed her head. "Stop playing mind games and tell me why we're here."_

_ "I've already explained to you twice that you're the one who brought us here," Kikyou said, exasperated. "I've been watching over you ever since we last spoke, but I thought it would be impossible to contact you once I'd moved on. This is all your doing, Kagome. What do you want from me?"_

_ Kagome looked at her closely and frowned. What _did _she want from Kikyou? She closed her eyes and tried to remember what she'd been thinking about while she was leaning against Inuyasha in the limo. It wasn't a stretch; she'd been clinging to him, afraid that if she let go, he would somehow disappear and leave her alone without even the well for comfort. The only other thing going through her mind was that she was also afraid to lose her mother, because it made her remember what it was like to think that she was all alone in the world. It had become her newest and biggest fear, the thought that someday she might be alone. It was unbearable._

_ "I don't want to be alone," Kagome said in a small voice. "I'm afraid for my mother and Onii-chan and all of my friends. I want to keep them safe."_

_ The hard look in Kikyou's dark eyes softened. "I can't help your mother, but perhaps you could do something for your brother. You've already done it once."_

_ "What? What could I do?" Taking a step forward, Kagome looked at her imploringly. "Tell me."_

_ "Wake up and go to him," Kikyou directed. "We'll have to work together and time is short. Not even your power can open the connection between us for long."_

_ "How do I do that? I'm dreaming here, and it's not like I have control over this." Kagome blinked..._

... and opened her eyes to find herself on her bed, safe within the mansion. She sat up, feeling distant and removed from the world, like she wasn't really there. In her mind, she heard Kikyou's voice again, telling her to find Matsu quickly. Obediently, Kagome swung her legs over the side of the bed, and stood up, noticing that she was back in her regular clothing. Some sense that she didn't recognize told her that Matsu was down by the pool area, no doubt gawking at Seiko as she swam. Kagome opened her door and hurriedly walked down the hall, disregarding anyone who tried to speak to her. For once, her mind felt very clear and very focused, and even her overwhelming grief over her mother's fate felt a hundred miles away, as though someone had put a barrier between it and her.

It had grown warmer and more humid outside while she was upstairs sleeping, and as she'd suspected, her family was out by the pool. Souta was with them, playing with Miho, Shippou and Megumi. Inuyasha was supervising while the four played in the pool, but he glanced up as soon as she walked outside. He started to come towards her, looking concerned, but Kagome ignored him in favour of zeroing in on Matsu, who was sitting beside Seiko with a bottle of sunscreen in his hand. A surprised and worried expression crossed his face as Kagome walked over to him and stood in front of him.

"Kagome-chan? What's wrong?" he asked, startled by the look on her face.

_"Take his hand, Kagome," Kikyou whispered. Her voice was faint, just loud enough for Kagome to hear, and almost seemed to be coming from somewhere behind her. "The Kazaana, I have to see it."_

Kagome's hand reached out and took hold of Matsu's right wrist. Her brother frowned as Kagome turned his hand over, showing off his palm and the beads that crisscrossed over it. As per Kikyou's direction, she closed her eyes and focused on summoning up her miko power, encouraging it to fill the air around her. It was still weaker than usual from her display at the well, and she shivered as she opened her eyes. The world looked completely different; now she could actually _see_ different forms of energy as opposed to just sensing them. Humans were blue, youkai were red, hanyou were purple, and the Kazaana was an ugly spot of black against Matsu's golden-veined blue body.

_ "Use your power to form a seal," Kikyou ordered. "Just like you did around the well. It can be done, but you have to want it."_

"I_ do_ want it," Kagome said out loud, frowning. "I hardly knew what I was doing with the well, and this is an actual person. You could be more helpful, you know."

"Kagome-chan, who are you talking to?" Seiko asked, frowning, exchanging looks with Matsu. "Are you alright?"

_"Ignore them. You need to focus," said Kikyou. _If Kagome allowed her gaze to go a little fuzzy at the edges, she could almost see the older miko standing across from her, staring down at the Kazaana. _"Remember how you created your seal at the well, but focus it on the Kazaana as opposed to the wood in the well. Will your power to draw a circle around the Kazaana, Kagome. Create a seal to prevent it from growing any larger. Your power can keep it in check, but don't use too much, or you risk agitating it."_

Carefully, Kagome used one finger to lightly draw a circle around the black spot of energy on Matsu's palm, her brow furrowed in concentration. A thin line of vibrant pink energy trailed behind her finger, burning brightly against the black. Matsu jumped at the feel of her power and tried to jerk his hand away. She gripped his wrist even tighter in response and silently willed her miko power to form a full seal around the Kazaana. Ever so slowly, the pink light formed a bowl around the curse, covering it both on top and underneath, so that it looked like an orb. It was a little larger and rougher than Kagome would have liked, and she had the feeling that Kikyou would have done a much better job, but it was the best that she knew how to do.

_Kikyou radiated approval. "Not too badly done for your first human seal on a curse," she remarked. "You'll have to refresh it every few days because the curse will eat away at it, and if he actively uses the Kazaana, remember that your seal will disintegrate instantly."_

"I don't think that will be a problem," Kagome replied with a bitter smile. Matsu was terrified of the Kazaana. She looked the seal over one last time and wished that she could have done more. Her power felt so inadequate. "Maybe I should try again during the next night of the full moon," she murmured, more to herself than to Kikyou. "My power is so much stronger when I'm not a hanyou."

_"I warned you," Kikyou practically sang. _

"Thanks for your help, you can leave now," she said, annoyed. Flipping her hair over one shoulder, Kagome drew what was left of her power back into herself. That appeared to snap the tenuous connection between her and Kikyou. She drew in a sharp breath as the real world slammed home with enough force to nearly knock her backwards. It was almost like she had been sleep walking and was only now fully awake. Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders and steadied her before her knees gave out on her.

"What the fuck was that? Who were you talking to?" he demanded.

"Just a minute," she said wearily. "Onii-chan, I placed a seal around the Kazaana. As long as you don't use it, it won't get any larger. That should hold it off until we're able to destroy Naraku."

Matsu's eyes widened. "Kagome-chan... How did you...?"

Kagome smiled at him and leaned back more fully against Inuyasha. She knew that he was worried about her, that they were all worried, but she was so satisfied she couldn't muster up the energy to care. Her eyes fluttered shut, and just before she fell asleep, she managed to whisper, "Kikyou showed me how."

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Please review!


	19. My Sister's Family

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, everyone. I'm happy that everyone enjoyed seeing Kagome interact with her family, particularly Souta. I never feel like her family gets the attention they deserve. Also, don't even ask me how Kikyou showed up AGAIN... I don't even like her that much so I'm not quite sure how she snuck into my story twice. Anyway, since the last chapter had some bonding between Kagome and Souta, I figured it was time for Seiko's turn. Also, a long time ago I was asked a question about Kohaku and what happened to him... I didn't forget. This chapter answers all questions. Enjoy!

Yukio = happy hero  
Tatsuya = dragon assertive  
Nanako = child of the greens

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Chapter 19: My Sister's Family

The Mori Center turned out to be a lot larger than Kagome had expected. It was a tall building with several floors that was located smack in the middle of the city. Each individual floor was devoted to the teaching of a different kind of martial arts or weaponry, with the best practice equipment that money could buy. She supposed that on some level, she should have expected it: Seiko was every bit the fighter that Sango had been, and her sister had openly admitted that the Mori Center was mostly a way to train taijiyas without getting in trouble with the government. But she still couldn't help being a little surprised as she wandered into the building behind Seiko, and found herself marvelling over the expensive and classy design of the entrance. Clearly her friend had been born into wealth this time around.

Seiko approached the desk and spoke to the women sitting behind it for a moment before she beckoned to Kagome, leading her toward a sleek row of elevators. She picked out an elevator and pressed the button, then ushered Kagome inside. As the doors closed, Seiko turned to her and smiled. "So, what do you think?"

"It's amazing," Kagome said immediately. "I'm so glad you brought me here to see, Onee-chan."

A grin crossed the older girl's face in response, and she looked away, fighting to hide the triumphant gleam in her dark brown eyes. For the past three days, Kagome had been unusually silent and depressed. She got up and went to school, spent some time at the shrine with her family, then returned to the mansion and went straight to her bedroom with only Shippou or Inuyasha for company. Her actions were beginning to affect everyone, but no one had been quite sure how to go about cheering the miko up. After all, it wasn't like any of them could magically cure her mother. It had taken some time for Seiko to think of it, but finally she had remembered that there were few things Kagome liked more than learning about her friends and family. The suggestion that the two of them visit the Mori Center had been met with a welcome amount of enthusiasm, and Kagome had only grown more excited during their trip there.

"Score one for the big sister," she muttered, her voice just low enough so that Kagome couldn't hear. The elevator swished to a smooth stop and Seiko stepped out, instinctively turning to the right. It was about three in the afternoon, so she knew that her father would just be finishing up with a class. She walked all the way down the hall and took another left before she stopped, gazing through the glass wall and admiring the high level of training that was going on inside. Kagome gasped softly, watching in awe as the men and women inside fought against each other.

"If they're_ all_ taijiya, I can suddenly understand why we have concealment charms," said Kagome, her fingers unconsciously twining around the pearls she wore at her neck.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan. We have a universal pact with youkai that we won't attempt to exterminate those who try to live in peace with humans," Seiko reassured her, looking amused. "No one here would hurt you, anyway. Ah, look there, you see him?"

Kagome followed her sister's finger to the corner of the room. Her hand flew to her mouth to smother her startled cry when she saw who Seiko was pointing at. A boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old was silently working out in the corner by himself, diligently following the lessons of the teacher even though he was less than half the size of everyone else in the class. He was tall and slender, dressed in a white tunic and pants, with dark hair just long enough to tie back, dark brown eyes, and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose. Wide eyes filling with shocked tears, Kagome turned to Seiko. She couldn't hold them back when she saw the look of unmistakable pride written across Seiko's face.

"It's him," she whispered, almost overwhelmed. "That's what you wanted me to see. Kohaku-kun. He's alive? Oh, Onee-chan, I'm so happy for you." She also couldn't help feeling a bit guilty. It had never occurred to her to inquire after the state of Sango's brother, and Seiko had never broached the topic, so she had just assumed that Kohaku's spirit was at rest.

Practically bursting with joy, Seiko nodded exuberantly, her eyes shining. "I was thrilled when I received all of my memories on that day and knew what his presence really meant. He doesn't remember anything of that time, but I think it's better that way." She laid a gentle hand on the glass, as though she could reach him through the barrier. "His mind is free, and I wouldn't want him to remember what Naraku forced him to do. It nearly destroyed Kohaku."

"I understand. What is his name?" Kagome asked.

"Yukio. Mori Yukio," said Seiko. Almost as though the boy had heard them, he stopped his careful movements and turned, his face a mask of curiosity. Deep brown eyes widened when he saw them, and then his face lit up. He ran to the door and pushed it open, practically tumbling through in his haste. Seiko laughed and moved forward, catching him with ease and pulling him into a tight hug. Yukio threw his arms around his older sister and embraced her in return.

"Nee-chan, you came back to visit!" he cried happily.

"Of course I did, silly. I told you that I would," Seiko chided gently, shaking her head. Yukio was not as fragile as Kohaku had been, as he was not caught in the cycle of having to be something that he wasn't, but her brother still had the tendency to be a bit clingy. She ruffled his hair and added, "I brought one of my friends to meet you. Yukio, this is Kagome."

"Hello," Yukio said shyly, holding his hand out to Kagome. It was all Kagome could do to hold in a squeal as she gently clasped his hand before letting go. Seiko and Yukio were absolutely adorable together, and she could see the love that they had for each other in every move that they made.

"It's very nice to meet you, Yukio-kun," she said with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Is Kagome-san one of the people you've been staying with?" Yukio asked curiously, looking up at Seiko.

"Yes, she is," said Seiko with a nod, stroking his hair gently. She knew that the fact that she no longer lived with her human family was hard on him, and none of them really understood why she felt she needed to live in a "den of youkai", as her father had once called it. All of them, including Yukio, knew a little about her memories, but she'd never explicitly explained to them about her position as Inuyasha's Taijiya or what the pack meant to her. A slow smile crossed her lips as she glanced at Kagome. If there was one thing she had inherited from Sango, it was the knowledge that pack was everything, regardless of whether or not she was merely a human, and as much as she loved her family, she knew she had to be with them. That was going to be difficult to explain.

"Then I should introduce her to Otou-san and Okaa-san." He hurried back over to the door and slipped inside the room, where the class was just ending. Yukio went to the front of the class and spoke quietly to the teacher, who turned and looked in the direction of Seiko and Kagome, then nodded back at Yukio. Kagome examined the man with interest while the other students were filing out of the room, noting the short black hair, familiar dark brown eyes, and similarities in facial structure. No doubt about it; that was definitely Yukio's and Seiko's father.

"Otou-san!" Seiko moved forward and happily embraced the man as soon as he had joined them in the hallway. He laughed and hugged her in return, nearly lifting her off of the floor.

"Hello, Seiko-chan," he said in a deep voice, resting a hand on his daughter's shoulder once they had parted. His gaze rested on Kagome, who swallowed nervously but made an effort to hide her discomfort. There was something vaguely disapproving in the way he looked at her. "And who might this be?"

"This is Higurashi Kagome. Kagome-chan, this is my father, Mori Tatsuya," said Seiko.

"Good evening, Higurashi-san," Tatsuya said, making no move to offer his hand in greeting.

"It's just Kagome, and hello, sir," Kagome mumbled, dropping her gaze. Her nose twitched and she sneezed at the hint of bitterness that flooded the man's scent. Yukio was frowning, but Seiko didn't appear to have noticed the way her father tensed and took a slight step backwards.

"Where's Okaa-san?" Seiko asked, looking eagerly at her father.

His face broke into a new smile as he looked at her. "Downstairs, hard at work, as always. She'll be so pleased that you've decided to stop by. I don't have a class for another hour, so I'll come along with you."

"Great!" Beaming, Seiko hooked her arm through her father's and led the way back towards the elevators. Yukio followed right behind them and Kagome brought up the rear, staring thoughtfully at the back of Tatsuya's head. He didn't like her, she could tell. Even if he didn't come right out and say it, it was obvious from both his body language and the way he smelled. But why? Was he angry that she was one of the reasons that Seiko was not living at home, or had he somehow realized that she was a hanyou? Or both? That was a thought that made Kagome nervous. Tatsuya was well muscled, and there was a lightness to his step that spoke of an extraordinary level of physical agility. She didn't relish the thought of anyone trying to exterminate her.

The trip down in the elevator was relatively quiet, save for Yukio asking his sister the occasional question about training. Seiko was reassuring him that she was having ample opportunity to keep up with her schedule when the doors swished open and she glanced up and spotted her mother. Her face lit up immediately and she bounded out of the elevator, hugging her mother with an exuberant yelp. Kagome hung back, watching with a little envy at the happy picture that the four of them made. In her mind's eye, she could almost see her own family that had once been the same way, and the resulting jealousy she felt made her feel even worse. How could she begrudge Seiko anything when her sister had suffered so much in the past? If anyone deserved to have a loving family...

"Okaa-san, this is Kagome, one of the friends that I've been staying with," Seiko said, interrupting Kagome's thoughts. "Kagome-chan, this is my mother, Mori Nanako."

Nanako glanced at Kagome, then raised her eyebrows. "I guess this means you haven't come by to tell us that you're moving back in?" she asked.

Seiko sighed. "No, Okaa-san. I told you, it's important for me to be where I am," she said patiently.

"I just don't understand how you can bring yourself to live with youkai," Nanako replied, her nose wrinkling ever so slightly. "You're a human, darling, and you belong with other humans."

Kagome bristled slightly at the remark and was pretty sure that her eyes flashed gold in spite of the concealment charm. Attitudes like that were the reason why Inuyasha had grown up so alone and why Shippou had been so frightened when they'd first found him. She had hoped that relations between humans, youkai, and hanyou would have gotten better over the years, not worse, but perhaps she was wrong, at least in this case. Seiko must have noticed the pissed look on her face because she quickly began distracting the rest of her family with a suggestion that the five of them go out to lunch.

"Splendid idea. I'll get my coat. I know the perfect place. It's not too far away, either," announced Nanako. She jotted down a note on the pad on her desk before she picked up her coat. Tatsuya took it from her and helped her to slide it on, giving Seiko the chance to pull Kagome off to the side. Yukio observed them curiously as Seiko clasped her hands together in a pleading manner.

"Please don't be mad, Kagome-chan," Seiko begged her in a whisper. "I guess I should have warned you that my parents aren't exactly youkai lovers."

"No, it's alright, Onee-chan," Kagome mumbled, making sure that her voice couldn't be heard by other humans. "I suppose it makes sense, considering that they are taijiya." She fingered her pearl necklace, suddenly relieved that Seiko had requested that she wear it. No telling how Seiko's parents would have reacted to her otherwise.

"That, and they've never quite forgiven me for moving out to live with youkai," Seiko said with a rueful smile, still speaking in an undertone. "I haven't really explained to them yet about Inuyasha or Naraku. I wanted to do that today. I was hoping that your presence would give me the confidence to do it. Otou-san will be really worried once he hears, because rumours about Naraku have been circulating around, and he's not going to want me to fight with you guys."

"Onee-chan, if you'd rather move back in with your family, I'm okay with that," said Kagome, frowning slightly. "I'm sure Onii-chan and Inuyasha wouldn't mind, either."

"What makes you think that?" asked Seiko, startled.

"Well, you seem nervous about telling your family the truth... I just thought I'd give you the option. We won't think less of you for wanting to be with them. I know how much your family means to you," the younger girl said, shrugging.

"No, Kagome-chan. I want to be with you and the pack," came the firm reply. There was absolutely no doubt in Seiko's eyes, not even when her parents called to them. She looped her arm through Kagome's and began walking towards the door, with Yukio trailing a safe distance behind them. "Even when I was a little kid, I felt like I was in the wrong place. I loved training as a taijiya, but there was always something missing. It was exasperating because I didn't understand what it was. When I got my memories back, I was relieved, because I finally understood what I had lost." A pensive expression came over her face before she smiled. "It's kind of funny, really. Back in the past, I longed to have my family back. I never realized that I already had what I needed."

Kagome smiled slightly and squeezed Seiko's arm. "I'm relieved. I would have supported you moving back in with your family, but I wouldn't have been very happy about it. I like having my pack underneath one roof."

"Does that mean Matsu-san and I can come live with you and Inuyasha when you move out of Sesshoumaru's house?" Seiko asked seriously.

"You'll always be welcome. Both of you will. You're our sister and brother. Inuyasha and I will always want you two around," said Kagome with conviction. "Never doubt that, because I know it for a fact. But I do think it's good that you're trying to clear the air with your family anyway. I felt much better after I spoke to my mother."

Seiko gave her a sideways glance at that, for it was the first time that Kagome had willingly mentioned her mother since she had received the news that the woman was ill. But she didn't get the chance to press for more details. Nanako and Tatsuya had stopped outside of a small but expensive looking restaurant, and Tatsuya was holding the door open for them. Reluctantly, she allowed the subject to drop as a waiter led the five of them a to a table in the corner of the restaurant, where they would have some privacy. Her father sat at the head of the table, with Seiko to his right and Nanako to his left. Kagome was beside Seiko, with Yukio across from her.

"So, Darling, tell me how you've been doing," Nanako urged, not even bothering to open up her menu.

"I've been doing well, Okaa-san. I've managed to keep up on my training with no problem," Seiko said, sending her mother a warm smile. "There are lots of people to spar with."

"That might be the one advantage to you living where you do," Tatsuya murmured, looking at her with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. "You have the chance to test your abilities against real youkai. Are you planning on coming back to the Center with us? I'd love to have the chance to see how much you've improved."

"Sorry, Otou-san, but I can't right now." Seiko shifted slightly, concealing her slight wince. Her ribs were mostly healed, but the doctor that Sesshoumaru had provided for her had recommended that she not participate in a fight for at least another three to five days, unless she wanted to take the chance of re-injuring herself in a more serious way. For the most part the injury no longer bothered her, but changing positions, particularly when she was seated, could still cause the occasional twinge of pain. "But I'll be sure to take you up on that the next time around."

"What's wrong? Were you injured, Nee-chan?" Yukio asked, looking upset. He'd always been more in tune with Seiko's moods than either of their parents.

"There was a small battle and I miscalculated that's all," she explained, sending him a reassuring smile. "No need to worry. I'll be fine within a day or two."

Their waiter returned to take orders at that point, but it didn't do anything to stop the stormy look that had gathered on Nanako's face when she heard that her daughter had been wounded. Kagome grimaced as she ordered the first thing on the menu that she saw: a chicken breast stuffed with cheese and savoury herbs with a garden salad on the side. She could foresee a lecture coming up, and judging by the expression on Seiko's face, she knew that her sister could as well. Sure enough, the instant that the waiter had moved away from their table, Nanako leaned forward and laced her fingers together.

"I want you to move back home, Seiko," she said, looking completely serious. "I don't think it's safe for you to live around youkai. Every time you come to visit, you act strangely. You skip over details and I know that there are things you're not telling us. Now you've come home injured? How much longer will it be before you're seriously hurt or worse? I understand that you're a taijiya. I accepted that when I married, my children would follow the same path as my husband. But that world is just too dangerous for you. If you really want to live away from the Center, your father and I are more than willing to help you get set up in your own apartment. Oyumi-san's son is searching for a tenant for his place, and I know that you would be very happy there."

"I'm happy where I am," Seiko said patiently. "But you're right, Okaa-san. I have been hiding some things from you. Do you remember when I asked you about that dog youkai who had been around for so long?" She turned to her father. "And I requested that you make me an appointment?"

"Of course I do. You moved out right after that. I assumed that he was able to help you find whatever it was that you were searching for," said Tatsuya. It was clear from the look on his face that he regretted ever making Seiko that appointment. He leaned forward and dropped his voice. "He's a dangerous one, that youkai. We've been trying to find a legitimate reason to take him down for years, but he's got high connections and the bastard knows how to use them."

Fortunately, only Yukio was close enough to hear the soft growl that escaped Kagome's lips when she heard how Tatsuya talked about Sesshoumaru in spite of the so-called peace treaty that they had with the great youkai. Dark brown eyes widened momentarily as they fell to the pearl necklace that Kagome was wearing around her neck. Then understanding dawned, followed by a slow, impish smile. Kagome blinked at him, startled when he merely gave her a wink, then gave him a hesitant smile in reply. For whatever reason, perhaps out of loyalty to his sister, he wasn't going to divulge her secret to his parents just yet. In fact, he appeared to be perfectly willing to just sit there and wait out the oncoming sparks.

"It's probably best that you give up," said Seiko flatly. Her hands clenched into loose fists underneath the table, and she had to take a deep breath before she could continue. "You'll never bring Sesshoumaru-sama down, and you should stop trying. He's a good man, and if it weren't for him, this world probably wouldn't even be here anymore." She couldn't quite stop a shudder as she imagined what would have happened if Sesshoumaru, Rin, Kouga and Ayame hadn't been there to fight against Naraku for all of those years. The image brought new meaning to the words "hell on earth". "That's partly what I came here to tell you, Otou-san, Okaa-san. I asked you to let me meet with Sesshoumaru-sama because the man that I went to find is Sesshoumaru-sama's younger brother. I'm sure that you've all heard of the hanyou, Inuyasha."

"You mean that hanyou from the legend you used to tell me about?" Yukio asked, his eyes lighting up with interest.

Seiko nodded. "Yes, that's right, but it's not just a legend, Yukio. Inuyasha is still alive. He's the hanyou I've been living with." She glanced at her parents, who had yet to make a comment. "Otou-san, I'm sure you must remember that legend, since you used to tell it to me every night before I went to bed. It's the one about shikon no tama."

Tatsuya was frowning. "Of course I do. But I still don't understand what that has to do with you."

"I'm the taijiya from the legend," Seiko said simply. "I'm Inuyasha's Taijiya."

Instant silence. The waiter approached with their food and set a delicious-looking meal down in front of everyone, but no one made a move to eat. Seiko waited until the server had left before she spoke again.

"I know this is probably hard for you to understand," she went on, "but when I was younger and I used to talk about being a great taijiya, I wasn't just imagining things. I was _remembering_ things from my past life, when I was a part of Inuyasha's pack. That hanyou that you heard rumours about, the one who can change his appearance at will? His name is Naraku." Seiko practically spat the name as her eyes flashed with hatred. "He's very dangerous and has two goals in life. To collect all of the shards of the shikon no tama and to kill Inuyasha and his pack. I've been helping Inuyasha to fight against him ever since I moved out. For a long time, we weren't getting anywhere, but..." She looked over at Kagome. "I think that we're finally getting close to beating him."

"Seiko..." Tatsuya said, breaking the silence. He appeared to be rather shocked by his daughter's explanation. "Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

"I'm the one who has been living it, Otou-san. Believe me, I know. To be honest, I didn't really expect you to believe me right away," she admitted. "But I had to tell you anyway. That's why I asked my friend to join us. This is Inuyasha's Miko, the protector of the shikon no tama. Kagome-chan, please show them the shards."

The shards were hanging around Kagome's neck, with the little container hidden underneath her shirt. She pulled it out from between her breasts and showed them to Seiko's family. Varying expressions of amazement crossed the faces of Tatsuya, Nanako, and Yukio as the shards sparkled and shone with a beautiful soft pink light. There could be no doubt about the fact that these truly were shards of the shikon no tama. Tatsuya, as a veteran taijiya, could feel the power rolling off of them. Without thinking, he reached out a hand to touch them. Kagome instantly whipped the shards out of his reach and leaned back with a warning scowl. No one else outside of Inuyasha, Seiko, Matsu and Shippou were allowed to touch the shards, and that included Seiko's family.

"I'm even more worried about you now," Nanako said finally, looking at Seiko with concern. "If what you're saying is true, you're in even more danger than I realized. I don't want you to be hurt."

"I hope I won't be," said Seiko gently. "I'll try my best to be safe. I didn't tell you the truth so that you would worry about me. I don't like lying to you, and I want to share every part of my life with you, including my pack. I want you to understand why I have to be with them. They're important to me, Okaa-san. Kagome-chan is my sister, Inuyasha my brother, Shippou-chan my nephew. Matsu-san is... well..." A slight blush rose into her cheeks. "I believe my red string connects to him."

Nanako gasped, her eyes widening. "Seiko..."

"I know, Okaa-san." Seiko looked down at her meal and lifted a small portion of noodles to her lips. She chewed slowly and swallowed. "I know it might take some time for you to absorb all of this. It will be dangerous. I won't lie to you about that. But you've trained me well, and I'm not afraid of what will happen."

"I think it's awesome," Yukio spoke up, glancing at his shell-shocked parents. "You're the taijiya from that legend, Nee-chan... That's so cool. I always knew you were strong, but I had no idea you were _that_ strong."

"I agree," Kagome said, speaking for the first time since they had all sat down. "Seiko-chan is a very brave person and she always does what's right. You should be proud of her for taking her place amongst our pack and helping me to protect the shikon no tama." She had purposely avoided calling Seiko "Onee-chan" like she normally did. Judging by the expressions on Tatsuya's and Nanako's faces, both of them already had a great deal to absorb, and learning that Seiko was so close to her pack would probably send them over the edge. "We all love her very much," she added firmly, a clear warning in her brown eyes.

The remainder of the lunch was spent mostly in silence. Yukio told a few stories about how he was progressing during his training, but when he didn't get much of a response, he gave up. Now that she had told her parents the truth, Seiko seemed to be in a hurry to leave and give them some time to think about everything she had said. She finished eating quickly and glanced at Kagome, who was more than willing to leave behind the majority of her meal if it meant that they go home. Tatsuya didn't seem to have a problem with it, either. He called for the bill and paid it, his face set in a thoughtful frown all the while. Nanako was very preoccupied and kept glancing between Kagome and Seiko were a faint scowl.

"I suppose we should say our good-byes," she said at last.

"I'll come visit again soon. Bye, Okaa-san. Otou-san. Yukio." Seiko hugged each person as she spoke before she came back to stand beside Kagome. "You can call me whenever you want, okay?"

"See you, Nee-chan," Yukio said brightly, waving.

"Come on, Kagome-chan." Wrapping an arm around her younger sister's shoulders, Seiko hustled her out of the restaurant and down the street a ways before the two of them stopped and glanced back. Tatsuya, Nanako, and Yukio exited the building a moment later, but they turned in the opposite direction. Seiko breathed a sigh of relief and smiled uneasily. "That didn't go too badly, I suppose."

"It could have gone worse," Kagome observed, anxiously twisting the ring on her finger. By silent accord, she and Seiko started walking towards the nearest station. She imagined that it was never an easy thing to hear that your children were wrapped up in something dangerous, but Seiko's family had taken the news well, better even than her own mother had. But she suspected that it helped when said child was an experienced and talented taijiya, like Seiko was. Casting a glance at her sister, Kagome smiled a little at the contented expression on Seiko's ace, realizing that she was really happy that Seiko had still chosen to return home with her where they both belonged.

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**Note:** Seiko mentions a "red string" in this chapter. For those who are unaware, in Japanese mythology, the gods tie an invisible red string around the pinkie fingers of those who are meant to be soul mates. I'm pretty sure it's been mentioned in Inuyasha, but I think that was in reference to Inuyasha and Kagome. A Google search will give more information for those who are curious.

Please review!


	20. Spiders Stalking Me

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm glad that everyone liked hearing my take on Seiko's family. Though I did have a request for some action, and I did my best to oblige... at least you know you'll have some for sure next time. This chapter is a little shorter than normal because, seriously, between four stories and NaNo, I just about lost it this week, though I am proud to report that I won NaNo on November 16th. Hopefully next week's chapter will be right back up to full speed. In the meantime, enjoy!

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Chapter 20: Spiders Stalking Me

Two days later, Kagome woke up on Monday morning and realized that she finally felt well enough to at least make an attempt at going back to school. Now that the well had been sealed and she was officially going to be making a life in the present, she knew she had to bite the bullet and get used to going to school every day, but that was much easier said than done. In spite of how many times she'd insisted to Inuyasha that school was important, it now felt like such a waste of her time to spend six to eight hours a day trapped in a small room learning about useless information that wouldn't even help them to defeat Naraku. After all, unless they were successful in that venture, Kagome was well aware of the fact that she wouldn't even _have_ a future. Naraku wouldn't rest until he had the shikon no tama and all of the people who had opposed him were dead. That knowledge made her half-tempted to just drop out of school entirely and deal with the consequences when - or if - the man was ever brought down.

But her decision to go for the day seemed to make Inuyasha and the rest of her pack happy, so she forced herself to get out of bed, got dressed, kissed her boyfriend and her son good-bye, and walked to school with Matsu by her side while Inuyasha took Shippou. Matsu was intensely curious about her day with Seiko's family, and spent most of the trip asking her several questions about the Mori Center. Kagome made sure to skimp on the details, because she didn't know how much Seiko wanted Matsu to know. There was likely a very good reason that Seiko hadn't introduced Matsu to her family, and she didn't want to overstep her bounds or ruin the experience for her friends. However, she did tell him that Kohaku had been reincarnated, and the joy and relief that she saw in his face made her feel good as she walked onto the school grounds.

The place was surprisingly quiet, she noticed, glancing around with curiosity. Most of the students were standing in small groups and speaking in unusually quiet voices. Even her friends, who usually tackled her before she got more than a dozen steps inside the gate, were nowhere to be seen. Curious, Kagome hitched her backpack higher and went into the building, wondering if something was happening that she was unaware of. It wouldn't be the first time - considering her sketchy attendance, even Ayumi, Eri and Yuka had given up on trying to keep her involved. She was normally filled in on a need-to-know basis, which meant she would have to track down one of her friends to find out what was up. With that thought in mind, she headed for their classroom and the relative safety of having Kouga around.

Except... he wasn't there that day. She was surprised and dismayed to see the foreign, slender man standing at the front of the room instead of Kouga's human form. He had dark hair that was greying on the sides, and a short, trimmed beard that made him look quite distinguished. All she could really see was the profile of his face, as he was speaking to another of her classmates and explaining something by writing on the board, but he didn't look familiar. Kagome cast him a subtle glance as she made her way towards her seat and frowned slightly. There was something about him that seemed... off, but she couldn't put her finger on what it might be. Did she know him from somewhere after all? Was he another person from the past who had either lived all this time or been reincarnated? Her miko powers didn't sense anything, so the former was unlikely, but...

"Who's that?" she asked in a whisper, glancing at Eri as she slid into her seat. "Where's Kobayashi-sensei?"

"He's sick," said Eri, lifting her head and blinking up at Kagome. She closed the textbook that she had been flipping through and placed it on the edge of her desk. "That's Shinomi-sensei. He was here yesterday, too. I like him."

Kouga was sick? Disturbed, she sat down slowly, casting a doubtful look at the front of the room. Did youkai even _get_ sick? Was there another reason that he wasn't around? Why hadn't she been warned? The questions flew through her mind in a rush as she began organizing her things, taking her books from her bag and uncapping her pen and ignoring Eri's attempt to make conversation. Inuyasha would be furious if he found out that she was at her school alone. He'd been particularly strict about no one, not even himself, going off alone. That was one of Naraku's favourite tactics, after all – waiting until one of them had been separated from the pack before attacking. But then, she wasn't really alone if Ayame was still in the building, so it wasn't a big deal. She resolved to go and find the other woman during the first break to find out what had really happened to Kouga.

"I think he's cute," Yuka said slyly, turning around to face the two of them and distracting Kagome from her thoughts. "If I didn't have Hojo-kun, I would be so tempted."

"To do what? He's like twice your age," Eri muttered, rolling her eyes and shaking her head with amusement. "Honestly, Yuka-chan, I wonder about you sometimes!"

Yuka stuck her tongue out, but she didn't get the chance to do or say much more. Shinomi turned around from the blackboard and faced the class, calling for silence as he moved. His voice was deep and hoarse, like he hadn't spoken for some time. Kagome felt a chill go down her spine as a set of the iciest blue eyes she'd ever seen swept over the suddenly hushed class. He didn't look like a person who would take any kind of insubordination well, and she suddenly regretted her decision to get up and go to school that day. Her fears proved to be well founded when the man almost immediately leapt into a math test that was all about equations that were so far over Kagome's head that she didn't even _recognize_ them, much less know how to solve them.

Everyone around her jumped into the test and began scribbling away. Only Kagome was left sitting there, pencil on the desk beside her, with no clue what to do. She felt a bead of sweat roll down her cheek as she tentatively lifted her head and looked around, wondering what she should do. If it were Kouga, she wouldn't be terribly concerned: he understood why she had difficulty keeping up with school, and even though she didn't want to take advantage of being so close to the teacher, she suspected that he wouldn't penalize her with poor grades. But a perfect stranger, especially one who looked so strict... Swallowing hard, she summoned the courage to raise her hand. Shinomi glanced up a moment later, caught her gaze, and beckoned her to the front of the room.

"Yes?" he inquired, folding his hands. "Is there a reason why you have not touched your test, Higurashi-san?"

Kagome opened her mouth and then closed it, startled that he knew her name. Finally, she said, "I've been absent for most of last week. I don't know the material, Shinomi-sensei."

He frowned. "Being absent is no excuse for not keeping up with your work," he said briskly. "If you do not want to take the test, you may accept a failing grade and wait outside in the hall until we're done here."

"But that's not – " she began, upset. Her grades were poor enough without an additional failure. She stopped abruptly, realizing from the cold look on his face that her protests would not do any good, not even if she had been willing to mention her mother. He had his mind set. Kagome bit her lip in frustration and turned sharply, striding through the door and sliding it closed behind her. Shinomi might not have any sympathy, but she resolved to bring it up with Kouga when he got back from wherever he was.

Standing out in the hall by herself, she folded her arms and sighed as she leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. Great. She'd gotten out of bed that morning for what? To suffer the embarrassment of standing outside the classroom? To have a failure on her record instead of another absence? That was a fantastic use of time. Perhaps it would have been better for her to stay behind and at least make an attempt to figure out the test... but the equations had all looked completely foreign to her. Honestly, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd had the chance to pick up a math book – hell, any of her books – but it was probably at least a week before the well closed. Her classes were all at least three or four chapters ahead of her.

"Fuck," she muttered, rubbing her head. Just the thought of trying to catch up on all that work made her cringe. For the past two years, she'd only really been passing because of sympathy from her teachers, who felt bad that she was sick all the time. It wasn't because she understood the material, because she didn't. In spite of her best efforts, it had been nearly impossible to keep up with studying when she was in the past. Now that she had a little more time to spend on it, she was realizing that she was truly lost without the basics that she'd never had the chance to learn. How much longer would she be able to keep up that kind of charade before someone caught on? She didn't relish the thought of having to do so much catch-up work, but what was the alternative?

Her hanyou ears twitched beneath the power of the concealment charm and she lifted her head, listening hard, as a distant voice caught her attention. "... see, we're very honoured by your donation, Henge-sama. It will go a long way towards improving the facilities and the quality of the education that we're providing to our students."

Since she had heard the voices long before the speakers came into view, she had ample time to straighten her shoulders and move away from her slumped position against the wall, which would only get her into even more trouble if she was caught. Kagome tilted her head, watching with apparent disinterest as the principal of school, a portly man by the name of Adachi who was well known for being a massive suck-up when it came to people who had a lot of money, came around the corner first. He and one of the secretaries were falling all over each other in an effort to praise the man behind them. She started to look away, hoping against hope that the small group would walk right by her, since she didn't relish the thought of another confrontation.

Then she froze.

Very slowly, Kagome twisted her head and glanced back, praying to every god that she could think of that her eyes were playing tricks on her. The man walking behind the principal was, needless to say, extremely familiar to her. There was no way that she would ever forget that eerily pale skin, the ink black hair, or the fathomless dark eyes, regardless of whether he looked a little different from the last time that they had met. He was dressed in a rather expensive-looking black suit paired with a red tie, and his hair was much shorter this time around, tied back in a low ponytail. She spotted a necklace around his throat that was no doubt the reason for his human appearance. As she stared openly in nothing short of stark horror, the man looked up. Their eyes met. He smirked.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

"You there!" Adachi exclaimed before Kagome could say or do anything else. He darted a quick look back at their guest and then turned a furious gaze on her. "What are you doing out of class?"

"I... I..." Kagome stammered, her mind going blank. Without thinking, she shuffled back a step as the three of them approached. Her skin was crawling. "I... have to go see the guidance counsellor."

"I'm afraid that Kobayashi-san is not in today," piped up the secretary, giving Kagome a look of disapproval.

Kagome's heart just about stopped. At the very least, she was pretty sure it skipped a beat as her face turned white. Kouga _and _Ayame were absent? Something was seriously wrong. Though considering that Naraku was standing in her school, wearing a self satisfied smirk that Kagome dearly wanted to slap off of his face, that was kind of a given. Her breath came in faster pants as she edged back another step, unwilling to let the dangerous hanyou get close. Her mind was racing as she tried to figure out what an appropriate reaction would be. Fake sick and demand to be allowed to go home? Turn and run? But what would Naraku do if he had free reign in a school of innocent children? She didn't even want to imagine the kind of damage he could do.

"I insist you go back inside of your classroom," said Adachi, folding his arms. It was rare that he would pass up an opportunity to scold a student who had been found doing something wrong, and she realized that he was just trying to make a favourable impression on Naraku. "My apologies, Henge-sama. Some of these students... I simply do not know what to do with them."

"I'm sure you're doing the best you can, Adachi," said Naraku, never taking his eyes off of Kagome. "Sometimes there's no dealing with a student who has chosen to go down the wrong path."

Brown eyes flashed gold at the implied insult, and Kagome clenched her fists as anger vied with fear for first place in her heart. She would have liked nothing more than to throw herself at Naraku and claw his eyes out, but common sense kicked in and reminded her of exactly how dangerous that would be when she had no back-up and a ton of innocent people around. Grinding her teeth, she stepped backwards again, groping behind her with her hand until she found the door handle and was able to slide the door open without ever taking her eyes off of them. Shinomi looked up from teaching with a frown, but whatever he was about to say died when he spotted the principal standing in the hall with her. He went back to the class, and Kagome backed her way into the room, knowing better than to appear vulnerable to someone like Naraku, human disguise or not.

"Sit down, Higurashi," Shinomi commanded.

"Yes sir," Kagome said, sliding the door shut. She kept her eyes on Naraku until the last possible moment and was infuriated when the man smirked and winked at her. Winked! At her! Fuming, and more than a little frightened, she stormed back to her seat, wishing that she had some way to contact Inuyasha. Even though she had resolved to get a cell phone after the last encounter with Naraku, it had slipped her mind. "That's it. I really am getting a cell phone_ tonight_."

"What's that, Kagome-chan?" Eri whispered out of the corner of her mouth, shooting her friend a curious look. "You didn't miss very much. We've moved on to literature."

"That's great. Listen, you have a cell phone, don't you, Eri-chan?" she replied, her voice soft. "I need to borrow it."

"Kagome-chan – "

"Please, Eri-chan!" The fear in Kagome's voice was enough to make Eri jump. Her eyes wide, she carefully removed her phone from the pocket of her skirt and slipped it to Kagome when Shinomi had his back to the class. Kagome flashed her friend a grateful look and quickly opened the phone. She couldn't make a phone call in the middle of the class, but... Opening up a new text message, she tapped out a brief text to Seiko and Matsu and sent it to the both of them. It was the best she could do. But just as the text was in the middle of processing, a hand came down and snatched the phone out of her hands, slamming it shut. "No!"

"Higurashi! How dare you be playing around while you're supposed to be paying attention!" Shinomi's pale blue eyes flashed with anger as he stuffed the phone into the pocket of his coat. "You're in a lot of trouble, young lady. You – " He was cut off by the sound of a chiming bell, followed by a female voice over the loudspeaker that instructed all students to move to the auditorium immediately for a surprise assembly. Shinomi narrowed his eyes at Kagome, but turned and went to the front of the classroom, where he instructed the students to put their books away and rise. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as she stood with the rest of her classmates and bowed politely, but she knew from the cold look that Shinomi gave her that the matter was not completely over.

"Kagome-chan, what were you thinking?" Ayumi whispered, falling into step beside Kagome. The presence of her friends was keeping the angry teacher at bay, so Kagome didn't mind. "Why would you use a cell phone during school?"

"When we get back, he's going to be really mad at you," Yuka whispered, darting a glance at the man.

"Not to mention, you nearly got us_ both_ in trouble and you got my phone taken away," Eri added, her pale face set in a mask of unhappiness. "My parents are going to be furious."

"I'll buy you a new phone, Eri-chan, I promise," said Kagome. "They'll never have to know." She didn't regret using the phone to contact help, but she did wish that she had taken more care in not getting caught. It was impossible to know if the text had gone through, and if it hadn't, she was going to be in more trouble than her friends could even begin to imagine if Naraku tried to pull something. "It was very important that I contact one of my friends."

"Did you need someone to come get you?" asked Ayumi, looking concerned. "Do you not feel well?"

"No, I'm fine," she said reassuringly, even though it couldn't be further from the truth. Her whole body was tense with fear, and she actually did feel sick to her stomach, but she didn't dare leave. What if Naraku was planning to do something to the school? She had to be there to stop him.

"Shh," warned Eri, lifting a finger to her lips just as Yuka opened her mouth. The four of them entered the bustling gym and found seats in the middle with the rest of their class. At Kagome's insistence, she sat at the end of their row, giving her an easy chance to escape if need be. Her friends seemed to think that she was just feeling sick, and since it was an easy excuse, Kagome did nothing to dissuade them from thinking that.

Once the auditorium was full, Adachi walked across the stage and approached the podium that had been set up. There was a strange jerkiness to his movements, and his voice was curiously flat when he spoke. "We have gathered everyone here today to give you students the opportunity to hear a speech from a very dedicated and prominent member of our community. I am proud to say that he has recently decided to make a large donation to our school. Please welcome Henge Ryoku-sama with a round of applause."

As the students around her began to applaud, Kagome remained still, her hands tightly folded in her lap. She watched with bated breath as Naraku – or "Henge Ryoku" stepped out onto the stage and took the principal's place. He looked out over the crowd, his eyes searching every face, and she winced, wondering if the man was looking for her. A moment later, he actually did begin to speak, though she paid little attention to his speech. It was about working hard and putting forth the best effort possible to achieve one's goals. Their eyes connected as he said that, and Kagome breathed in sharply when she read the satisfaction in his gaze. Something had gone right... he was pleased... what was he going to do?

Almost as though her thoughts had put things into motion, the walls and floor of the gymnasium began to shake. Several of her classmates began to look around in confusion, though Naraku never stopped speaking. Suddenly, there was an explosion, and smoke billowed into the room. Kagome clasped a hand to her mouth, heedless of the frightened screams of her classmates, as several youkai entered the room through a hole in the wall. Her heart began to pound as they effectively sealed off the exits, preventing anyone from escaping. When one of the teachers made an effort to fight, the youkai tossed him aside, literally. The sickening crack of the man's body hitting the ground caused a horrified silence to fall over the students.

"Be quiet," Naraku said into the microphone. "Calm yourselves. There is no need to be concerned. You will not be harmed unless you make an attempt to fight back. Sit and listen."

Fingers latched onto Kagome's arm and she jumped before realizing that it was just Yuka, who had turned an awful shade of white that tinged on green as she stared at the teacher's body. Slowly, order was restored to the room as the teachers were forced to sit down amongst the students. Adachi stood on the stage to the left of Naraku with a completely blank look on his face, and Kagome realized that his body had probably been infested by Naraku. He would likely never be the same. Swallowing back a swell of pity, she turned her eyes to Naraku, who now wore a satisfied smirk on his face as he leaned forward almost casually.

"I know you're out there, Miko," he practically purred. "I will order the deaths of everyone in this room unless you turn yourself in and give me the shards of the shikon no tama."

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Please review!


	21. Know Thy Enemy

**A/N:** Oh my god... *awestruck* I need to start giving you people cruel cliffhangers more often. I can't believe how many reviews I got for the last chapter! Makes me nervous to post this one, because I know how many people are waiting for it, and I just hope that it lives up to everyone's expectations. I spent a lot of time thinking about where this chapter could/should go before choosing the path that felt right to me... but everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Let's hope this isn't one of those times. Enjoy!

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Chapter 21: Know Thy Enemy

The vast amount of unique experiences that she'd been blessed with so far had taught Higurashi Kagome a lot about life in general. Lessons like how people did not always play fair, and sometimes you just had to accept that loss was imminent whether you wanted to or not. During those times, it was often easier (and safer) to make a run for it and return another day, preferably with enough back-up to ensure a win. Those lessons had been hard won, and all of them were rushing through her head in a desperate flood as she sat there in her school's gymnasium, surrounded by classmates and teachers, body completely still, and eyes locked onto Naraku. That cruel smirk had been burned into her mind by the time Yuka's elbow jolted into her stomach, breaking the shocked state she had fallen into. She found herself gasping for air as Yuka cringed and clung to her arm, practically whimpering with fear over the threat.

"Oh my god, that guy is going to kill us. This has to be a joke, right?" she whispered frantically, her nails digging into Kagome's skin. "Oh my god. I'm too young to die. I haven't even kissed Hojo-kun yet!"

If she had been anywhere else, that kind of statement probably would have made Kagome laugh. Instead, she felt only a freezing coldness that spread slowly through every inch of her body and temporarily buried the flames of her anger. It allowed her to think with perfect clarity for once in her young life. Gave her the courage to stand up on legs that no longer wanted to work quite right. Forced her to keep standing when Naraku's gaze landed on her and his eyes lit up with malicious glee. Told her not to fight back, not yet, when one of the youkai that had forced their way into the building strode over to her, gripped her upper arm, yanked her away from Yuka, and propelled her up the aisle and onto the stage.

"You thought you could run or hide from me," Naraku observed, leaning against the podium. His hair fell in a shower over one shoulder. "How amusing. I must admit, your unique connection to the shikon no tama that night surprised even me. Sadly for you, I will not make that mistake again." He nodded to the youkai who stood beside her. Cold hands curled around the shards and snapped the cord easily before tossing the small box to Naraku.

"I'm not afraid of you," Kagome said simply. There was no need for the youkai beside her to hold on so hard. She wasn't going anywhere, not when her chance was near. Rage suffused her, nearly overwhelming the cold as Naraku shattered the little glass box and poured the shards into his hand. That gave her more strength, yet. "Inuyasha will come for you. For me."

"That's what I'm hoping for," he answered, his smirk growing into a true smile. It was an ugly sight. "How fortunate for me that you have somehow survived these long years so that I would have the pleasure of watching your death. Don't think that you will be able to save Inuyasha again, and certainly do not believe that he will arrive in time to save _you_."

Kagome looked at him blankly and then glanced out over the rest of the gymnasium. To anyone else, it would have appeared as though she was trying to seek comfort from the rest of the trapped students and teachers. In reality, she was taking count of the youkai minions to see how screwed they really were. Naraku had been confident in his plan to infiltrate the school, that much was obvious. He was unprepared for any real opposition. There was only a handful of youkai, half a dozen at the most. What kind, she wasn't sure, but they all had claws and fangs. Judging by the thin, spotted tails, she would have guessed some kind of cat. A feral smile broke out over her lips for just a second. Cats. How perfect.

If Naraku had been a less intelligent man, he would have waited for Inuyasha to arrive so that he could kill Kagome in front of him. After all, it would have been the ultimate revenge. But out of anyone, he alone knew how impossibly strong Inuyasha could become when his family was at risk, much less his mate. His head turned. Kagome recognized the look in his black eyes seconds before his fingers twitched. She barely had time to tense her body in preparation, edging ever so slightly to the right, before the youkai beside her attacked. Pain seared her body as the claws dove deeply into her side, tearing easily through her flesh and emerging out the other side. The distant sound of panicked screams kept her routed to reality as Kagome allowed her body to crumble lifelessly to the ground. It was a blow that would have killed a human, and that's exactly what she wanted Naraku to think.

Naraku began to laugh, a long, bitter sound that set Kagome's nerves on edge. She kept her eyes closed and her breathing slow and ragged as the youkai stepped away from her. It took considerable effort to keep the smirk from breaking out across her lips, as she was still facing Naraku and it would have been a dead giveaway. During all the times she had fought against Naraku, she had discovered the one real flaw the man suffered from: his tendency to underestimate his enemies and overestimate his own abilities. He still had no idea that Kagome was a hanyou, and this time, there was no new moon to interfere. Already, she could feel the pain starting to numb as Inuyasha's blood kicked in and began to repair the damage that had been done.

"What shall we do with them?" asked the youkai standing above her. The screams from their audience had descended into a sort of vacant whimpering interspersed with the occasional cry of fear. "Can we kill them?"

"You will wait," Naraku commanded. Kagome fought the urge to shudder when she felt his eyes on her body. Was he enjoying her pain, _her_ perceived death, or was he imagining Kikyou in her place? His voice oozed with satisfaction when he spoke again. "Come. The hanyou should be arriving soon, and we will be waiting to greet him with the news of his mate's untimely death."

"Yes sir." Lumbering footsteps told Kagome that the youkai had left her alone. Good. She opened her eyes a slit, careful to keep her breathing moderated. Some part of her was surprised that Naraku had not personally dealt with her death, but then again, he was likely trying to send the message that Kagome was not good enough for him to kill. He would rue the mistake when she and Inuyasha combined their powers to kill _him_.

Clearly thinking that the humans were completely cowed and thus nothing to be concerned about, Naraku left the gymnasium, heading for the front of the school. He took most of the youkai with him, leaving only two behind to guard the students and teachers. Kagome remained still until she was certain that they were gone before she opened her eyes and sat up. Pain assaulted her instantly, running in a violent wave up and down her spine as her audience fell eerily silent. She spared an almost amused glance at the shocked and stunned humans as she got her hands underneath her body and managed an awkward hop to her feet.

"What the fuck?" One of the youkai had noticed her movement, and he stared at her with open amazement, too shocked to even bother attacking her. "How did you – "

He never got the chance to finish his question. In one smooth movement, Kagome dove off of the stage and went for him, claws extended, and experienced the distinctly unpleasant sensation of having her hand go completely through a youkai's body for the first time. She could actually feel the slowing, dying movement of the man's fluttering heart against her arm as she drew her hand back. His face was still locked into an expression of surprise as he slumped slowly to the ground and blood pooled quickly around his body. Not even a youkai's healing ability would be enough to save his life at that point, so she had no qualms about spinning to face the second youkai that was sprinting towards her.

"Little bitch!" he roared, infuriated over the death of a pack mate.

"You're the one who chose to make a deal with the devil," Kagome reminded him, dodging the blow easily. Her heart was pounding over the fact that she had just_ killed_ someone and his blood was still on her hands, but there was no time to worry about it. If Naraku told Inuyasha that she was dead...! God, she didn't even want to think about it. She flexed her fingers and watched her opponent warily, wishing that she had her bow and arrows. But that passing thought served to remind her that she did have one weapon available.

"I'm going to kill you for real," he promised. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed the nearest student. Kagome froze as Ayumi cried out in fear. "Stand still, Miko, or I'll slit her throat."

"Deal," she said, fury edging her voice. "Teishijikan no hoippu!"

The whip lashed out from her hand and wrapped around his body before he could he even think about following through on his threat. She watched with no small amount of satisfaction as he froze in place. Unlike Kagura, the whip stayed around his body instead of becoming a solid sheet, glowing that strange golden color the whole time. Ayumi slipped free from his powerful grasp and collapsed into the arms of Yuka and Eri, sobbing softly. Kagome took a deep breath and suddenly became aware of just how much her side hurt. Wincing, she pressed the fingers of her clean hand against the wound and looked at the innocent people who had been caught up in a terrifying situation. If they were still around when the battles broke out...

"Run," she told them firmly, speaking to the group at large. "Get the hell out of here before Naraku comes back and figures out that I'm still alive. When he said he would kill you, he meant it." Most of the students and teachers took her advice, running for the hole in the wall without looking back. She prayed that Naraku had no more minions waiting outside to finish them off and turned to face those who had ignored her advice. A small select few had remained behind, much to her annoyance.

"Kagome-chan..." Somehow, Yuka found the courage to leave Ayumi and take a step towards her, eyes focused on the growing stain that was rapidly spreading across Kagome's shirt. "You're hurt."

"Yeah, I am." There was no denying it. "Go on, Yuka-chan. Please."

Yuka bit her lip and shook her head, determination lighting up in her dark eyes. "No way. Not until I know that you're going to be okay," she said.

"Yuka-chan!" Kagome growled, frustrated. Time was short already. "You can't..."

"Here, Higurashi." Hojo pushed through the crowd and stripped his shirt off, an act that the shy boy normally wouldn't have even contemplated. He began tearing strips off of it with hands that trembled only a little. The school's nurse took the strips from him and advanced towards Kagome with a cautious look in her eyes.

Only because she knew that her friends were serious, Kagome allowed the treatment. She hiked up her shirt when the nurse asked her to do so and was disconcerted by the gasps she heard from Yuka and Hojo, who had clustered around her. There had been a time when the sight of so much blood, particularly since it was her _own_, would have almost made her pass out. Now she was able to stand in a calm, almost patronizing silence as the nurse wiped away the blood as best she could before she wrapped several strands of the cloth around Kagome's waist; she tied them as gently as she could. The rest of the strips she handed to Kagome, who used them to eagerly wipe the dried youkai blood from her fingers. It helped only a little, and she thought dreamily of the long, hot bath that would be waiting for her if she got out of this alive.

"There," she said, coming back to the real world and tossing the used strips aside. "I'm bandaged. Now would you please get the fuck out of here? I guarantee you won't want to be around when the real fighting starts."

"_Real_ fighting?" Ayumi echoed weakly, her face turning white.

"But will you be okay?" Yuka asked hesitantly at the same time.

"KAGOME!" As though in answer to Yuka's question, Inuyasha's anguished cry rang through the school. Kagome would have welcomed the sound of his voice were it not for the underlying current of pain. She flinched, her hand flying to her heart, and turned impulsively in the direction of the door. Inuyasha had arrived already, and Naraku was beginning his mind games. Shit.

"Go!" Kagome yelled at her friends, no longer paying them any attention as she took off for the door. She had to get to Inuyasha... had to let him know that she was okay... "I'll be fine. Go!"

Running through the halls of her school covered in blood and knowing that her friends had just seen some things that would be nearly impossible to explain was a surreal experience for Kagome. She felt almost distanced from the world as she dodged down a back hallway that would bring her out on the eastern side of the school instead of heading towards the front. No point in running into a youkai or worse, Naraku, who would attempt to finish the job before she got to her pack. Reaching the door, she shoved it open without bothering to check for any enemies and burst outside. A hundred different scents hit her all at once and she sneezed several times even as she started running towards the sounds of battle.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome made it around the corner, and what she saw nearly broke her heart. Inuyasha was attacking Naraku almost mindlessly, swinging the Tetsusaiga in great strokes that Naraku had no difficulty in dodging. The youkai who had cut her was already dead – no doubt Inuyasha had been able to smell her blood on his hands. "Inuyasha!"

That time, he heard her voice. Eyes wide, he spun to face her, Tetsusaiga almost dropping from his fingers as he realized that she was still alive. Naraku stared, truly stunned, as she raced across the battlefield and threw herself into Inuyasha's arms. Inuyasha made a choked sound deep in his throat as he grabbed onto her and held her so tightly that it made her wounded side ache. Kagome didn't mind. Now that she was close to him, she could smell the bitterness, agony, rage, and pain that his scent was lined with, though those emotions were almost overwhelmed by the relief that he was now feeling. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her face into his hair and clung to him, whispering reassurances into his ears.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," she breathed, turning her head just enough so that she could kiss him. She had meant it as a gentle affirmation that she was truly alright, but Inuyasha took full advantage of it, pressing her lips open with his tongue and fully exploring her mouth. It was the first time that they had ever shown such passion for each other, and Kagome felt truly weak at the knees by the time he had pulled back, his golden eyes shining with too many emotions for her to correctly identify.

"How is this possible?" Naraku was literally shaking with anger as he glared at them, interrupting their reunion. "You should be dead. Humans do not have the healing powers necessary for your survival!"

She glanced at Inuyasha, silently asking his permission, and received it with a single nod. The time had come for them to lay their cards on the table. Naraku was not a stupid man, and he had been given enough clues to figure out the truth. It was likely that he would have done so already had he not been so incensed. Kagome turned an icy stare on him and reached up to touch the pearl necklace. "I don't recall ever telling you that I was only a human," she said coldly, feeling Inuyasha's hand leaving its protective grasp on her waist just long enough to fiddle with the clasp. Seconds later, the necklace fell into her hand, and she felt the power of the concealment charm melting away.

For one of the few times that she could remember, Naraku looked utterly shocked. His eyes raked over her hanyou form, taking in the puppy ears, her gold-flecked eyes, the silvery strands in her hair. She could practically_ see_ him putting the pieces together as a look of intense rage began to spread across his face. Inuyasha growled low in his throat at the perceived threat and held Tetsusaiga at the ready, his arm returning to a defensive hold around Kagome's waist. Kagome tensed, ready for anything, and found herself feeling incredibly glad that she no longer had to face the deadly hanyou on her own.

Especially when Naraku began to chuckle. "I should have guessed that this was what you meant when you made the foolish comment about your love having saved him," he said scornfully, dark eyes blazing. "You do not deserve to be Kikyou's reincarnation, Miko. You have sullied her soul."

Kagome shuddered at the chilling sound of his laughter. "Not that you would understand it, but I would have done anything to save Inuyasha's life. If you had even an inkling of what love is, you would understand that what I did is what Kikyou would have wanted me to do," she said hotly, glaring at him. Her senses were blazing with the feeling of the shards of the shikon no tama. So close, but so far at the same time. "Naraku, your time has ended!"

"On the contrary, Miko, it has only begun." With those words, his lower half began to morph. Inuyasha realized what was going to happen a split second ahead of Kagome and launched them both straight up in the air before he twisted and leaned back, dodging the tentacles that Naraku aimed at both of them.

A furious scream rang through the air as a blur of yellow, black, and pink shot past them. Kirara yowled again and sank her teeth deeply into Naraku's tentacle before letting go almost instantly as poisonous acid burned her mouth. Seiko and Matsu held on tightly as the cat youkai hissed and spit as it followed Inuyasha's descent to the ground. Kagome glanced around as they landed, realizing for the first time that Inuyasha was not the only one who had shown up to fight. Sesshoumaru and Kouga were both present – the latter looking particularly enraged – as well as some youkai that she didn't recognize who were gathered around the dog youkai. Several taijiya emerged from the crowd and clustered around Seiko as she hopped down from Kirara, including Yukio, who glowered at Naraku with determination.

"Look around, Naraku!" Kagome shouted. "We have all united to defeat you. This is a war that you can't win!"

"I have no need to win the war right now," Naraku said with a malicious smile. "Each individual battle is just as important." As he spoke, the sky began to darken with the appearance of hundreds of writhing youkai, just waiting for the chance to attack. Everyone tensed as Naraku made an immediate motion with his hand. Like the depths of hell had been opened, the youkai sprang forward.

"Kagome-chan, here!" Seiko shoved Kagome's bow and quiver into her sister's hands before dashing over to Kirara. Matsu hauled her and Yukio up onto the cat as Kirara bounded back into the air and began attacking youkai. Kagome threw her quiver over her shoulders and made a mental note to thank Seiko later as she raced back to Inuyasha.

"Let's go!" she yelled, raising her voice to be heard over the sound of battles.

"Right." Wearing a feral grin, Inuyasha hooked one of his arms around her thighs and then began to run, switching to great leaps in a matter of seconds. Kagome held onto his shoulders tightly, knowing that he wasn't able to hold onto her with his full strength or concentration. A fall from that height would no longer kill her, but it was a distraction that neither of them could afford. She ducked her head as he raised the Tetsusaiga up in front of him and summoned the sword's power. "Kaze no Kizu!" he bellowed. A hundred youkai screamed as the veins of power destroyed them instantly.

Behind her, Kagome could sense other youkai power being used. A fierce battle war being waged, and suddenly it was like she was in Sengoku Jidai all over again. Except it was actually happening at her school. Smiling grimly, she leaned back far enough to notch an arrow to her bow and summon a quantity of miko energy to make it glow like a pink beacon. With careful aim, she let it fly, watching as every youkai that the shining power touched disintegrated into nothing until the arrow found its target: an enormous youkai that had been threatening one of Sesshoumaru's men. The youkai screamed and collapsed in a wave of purity, and Kagome swung her arrow back onto her back. She latched back onto Inuyasha's shoulders as the hanyou landed on top of the school, his eyes searching intently for Naraku.

"Where is he, Kagome?" he asked. "Where did that cowardly bastard run off to this time?"

"Give me a second." Pressing her head against the nape of his neck, she inhaled his comforting scent and cast her powers out, searching for the tell-tale pulse of the shards of the shikon no tama. No matter where Naraku tried to hide, no matter how much he tainted the shards, she would always be able to find them. The shards gleamed brightly against her senses and she gasped, her hand rising to point almost automatically. "There, Inuyasha. He's running. He went that way."

Swearing under his breath, Inuyasha leapt off of the roof, following the direction that she'd indicated. Kagome cast one last glance over her shoulder, searching for her pack as they left the battle behind. She had just enough time to catch sight of Seiko beheading a youkai while Matsu and Yukio protected her before the sight of them was swallowed up by the skyscraper buildings of the downtown area, and she had to focus all of her attention on tracing the shards. Naraku was moving quickly, and if they didn't hurry up, they were going to lose him... and all of the shards. That thought made her blood run cold.

"Hurry, Inuyasha!" she whispered, fear coloring her voice. She couldn't tell if he had heard her over the sound of the wind, but Inuyasha pushed himself to go that little bit faster, both of them now practically a blur to anyone who might have thought to look overhead. "There!"

Kagome's shout was enough to stop Inuyasha mid-stride. He stumbled, nearly fell, and caught his balance against the low wall that bordered the roof of the building he had just leapt onto. Glancing up, he followed her finger to a small section of trees, part of a park that was on the outskirts of town. It no doubt led to the real forest, and if they lost Naraku there, there would be no catching him. Inuyasha growled low in his throat and dove into a free-fall, twisting his body at the last minute to land lightly on his feet. The two of them bounded across the street, ignoring the wide-eyed looks from anyone they passed, and headed into the trees.

It was a relatively small area, and Kagome's senses sang to her, indicating that the shards were indeed close. The sensation was so overwhelming that she couldn't even tell what direction it was coming from. It almost seemed to be coming at them in a circle. She clutched at his shoulders and indicated as much to Inuyasha, who nodded grimly before lifting his head and sniffing the air. At one time, she might have teased him, or thought to herself how much that action made him resemble a puppy, but now she knew better. Her own nose couldn't pick up on anything even though she tried, but whether that was because of smog from the city or a deliberate interference on Naraku's part, she wasn't sure. Inuyasha lowered his head, a puzzled look crossing his face, and set her down on the ground. Kagome backed off a step as he went down on one knee and began taking slow, deep breaths, trying to work out where he had gone.

"Inuyasha..." she started, unsure of what she was supposed to say. It ended up not mattering. The lights went out. Literally. Even though it was the middle of the day and the sun had been shining, darkness descended over the park, so thick and heavy that she couldn't see her hand when she waved it right in front of her face, and then all she could think about was how stupid she'd been to let herself get out of arm's reach. She swallowed hard and took several steps forward, hands outstretched in the direction that Inuyasha had been in. He wasn't there, and her nose still wasn't working properly. Fear made it hard to think beyond her natural instincts and she had to stomp down on her initial reaction, which was to completely freak out and hysterically scream Inuyasha's name. Doing so would only alert any enemies to where she was, if they didn't already know.

Slowly, working hard to keep herself from panicking, she turned around, trying to see if she could see or hear _anything_ that might help. Endless darkness met her eyes in every direction, and the silence pressed in on her; even the sound of her own breathing was quieter than normal, like she was hearing it from underwater or through a wall. It was totally disorienting to have all of her senses cut off. Instinctively, she dropped to the ground and moved a few inches in a crouch, her hands searching for anything familiar. Had they been transported to a different place, or were they still in the park? She found a stone - hard, smooth and round, she could have cried from relief - and tossed it in a random direction. Two thuds - one from the stone striking an object, and the other from the stone falling to the ground - were distant, like she was hearing it through a veil, but enough to confirm that she was still in the forest.

"Shit," she whispered. Even her voice sounded muffled. Softly, hoping she would get an answer, she called out, "Inuyasha? Are you there? Can you hear me? Please answer."

Nothing. More silence. Kagome could feel her heart beginning to pound as fear took over in spite of her best efforts. Had she and Inuyasha foolishly allowed Naraku to lead them into a trap? This was _so_ not good. She shifted her weight and rolled her shoulders, realizing that at least her bow and arrows were still present. That was one bonus. The cramping of her legs, on the other hand... wincing, she moved from her awkward crouch down onto her hands and knees. Walking blindly through a forest was a good way to crash into a tree or worse, and she wouldn't be able to fight if she was any more injured than she already was. The pain her knees and palms would suffer would be worth it if she could find her way to Naraku or, better yet, Inuyasha.

She crawled for a few feet, the pace agonizingly slow, and stopped when her groping hands came into contact with the trunk of a tree. Kagome curled around it, wishing that she had the nerve to climb, and thought seriously about her options. Number one: scream for Inuyasha, hope that he would come running, and pray that an enemy didn't do the same thing. Stupid. Number two: keep crawling around blindly until she either found the way out, went in circles until she collapsed, or ran into an enemy. Not the best idea. Number three: find Inuyasha. How? Number four: find Naraku. That was probably the best option, but it presented the same problems as option three. All of her senses were useless, and the shards weren't even calling out to her anymore. Her miko powers were completely confused, and when she tried to cast her senses out, they rebounded and slammed into each other, creating a bewildering cacophony that made her head ring. It was like being trapped inside of smooth glass walls that reflected everything.

Something different caught her attention, drawing her out of her thoughts. Kagome blinked and squinted, realizing that she was staring at _light_: flickering and dancing like a small beacon in the middle of the darkness. Her immediate instinct was to jump up and run towards it, but she stopped herself, just barely. Another ploy of Naraku's? It was probably asking for trouble to go in that direction... but what choice did she have? She couldn't sit there hugging a tree forever. Time seemed to be of no consequence in the endless darkness, but she had a feeling that at least an hour or two had passed. The gash in her side was beginning to throb painfully, and she was getting tired. Sooner or later, she wouldn't be able to stay conscious, and then she'd be a sitting target.

"Better to make things happen on my own schedule," she muttered, setting off again on her hands and knees. The movement made her wound ache even worse, but she tried to ignore the pain, instead pushing herself to crawl faster. Not once did she take her eyes off of that light. It seemed to be growing brighter the closer she got, and before long, something else happened: a strange, acrid scent hit her nose. Cringing, she paused and coughed, realizing that the light had gotten to be almost... hazy?

In an instant, the full truth of the matter hit her.

Alone. Trapped. Partially blinded. Unable to use her miko or hanyou senses.

And the forest was on fire.

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Please review!


	22. The Past Repeats Itself

**A/N:** I was really happy with the reception towards the last chapter. I'm glad everyone liked the whole Kagome vs. Naraku scene. I like pitting them against each other one on one, because I feel like Naraku really underestimates Kagome (and Kikyou, when she was alive – it was a fatal flaw of his, if you will). I'm always getting more requests for action, so I decided to keep it going in this chapter. I estimate this story will be wrapped up within ten or so chapters at the most, probably less. Exciting, no?

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Chapter 22: The Past Repeats Itself

Okay. Okay. She could do this, right? Just because she was alone, had no idea what direction was the right way to go in, and basically defenceless didn't mean anything. Kagome had been in enough dangerous situations to be able to think her way out of the one she was presently in, regardless of the obstacles she was facing. Or at least, that's what she kept telling herself as she stared with wide eyes and dropped jaw at the swiftly burning flames, watching in stunned silence as they leapt and devoured the brush and trees. It was coming closer and she still hadn't gathered herself together enough to do anything beyond kneel there and stare like an idiot. An idiot that was about to be very dead if she didn't get a move on.

That thought finally snapped her out of it. Her first instinct was to turn and run, but she made herself hold still. Running away from the fire was a good plan, but running into the darkness with no way of knowing where she would end up wasn't. Thinking quickly, she lowered her head and forced herself to crawl a little bit closer. The smoke had become heavier, but because she was so low to the ground, it wasn't bothering her as much. Kagome peeked upwards, eyeing the fire and wondering if she should risk getting close enough to grab a branch and light the end. At least it would give her a small bit of light, and that might be enough to help her find her way out. Of course, that meant she actually had to move towards the fire... and that was easier said than done when every muscle in her body was screaming at her to RUN ALREADY DAMN IT.

"I wish I wasn't alone," she whispered to herself, easing forward another few inches. For all of the fights she'd been in, rarely was it ever alone without any kind of back-up. She was too used to having someone else at her side that she could depend on. Shaking her head grimly, Kagome reached out a tentative hand and picked up a sturdy branch, just barely illuminated by the brilliance of the flames. It was thick and fairly long, about the length of her leg from ankle to thigh, and damp, so it wouldn't burn too fast. She'd have light for about five to ten minutes. That would have to be enough.

"I also wish I wasn't crazy," she added just for the sake of it, louder than before, and edged as close as she dared to get. It wasn't until she was actually reaching out to put the branch in the fire that she realized something was strange. It should have been absolutely sweltering that close to the flames, but it wasn't. She wasn't hot at all, actually. Kagome frowned in confusion and stuck the branch out, watching in puzzlement as the flames licked at the end but failed to set the branch on fire. What the hell was going on? Had she picked up a piece of wood that was _too_ wet?

Reality struck her like someone had dumped a bucket of icy water on her head. Suddenly furious, Kagome jerked the branch back and unthinkingly stood up. It wasn't until her throat tightened with pain, the taste of ashes blooming on the back of her tongue, did she realize what a stupid move she'd made. The fire was fake, but the smoke certainly wasn't, and she was liable to die from suffocation before anything else. Instantly, she dropped back down to the ground and stretched out on her belly, mind working furiously. This had to be a trick of Naraku's. Was he trying to chase her back the way she had come? Or had he meant for her to come this way, towards the fire? Had he assumed that she would figure it out? Was it better to stay put? Go forward? Retreat?

She couldn't stay where she was, and the thought of going back into the all-consuming darkness was enough to make her shiver. Kagome had never been afraid of the dark before, but she was starting to think that people who were were on to something. It was nothing short of terrifying to be completely encased in blackness. Since she had no plans to die of smoke inhalation, the only plan was to go forward. In to the fire. Shit. Groaning quietly, she awkwardly scooted a bit closer and held her hand out cautiously, testing the heat with the flames barely an inch from her skin. Still nothing. Of course, Naraku could be watching and waiting for her to jump in before he cranked the heat up, and wasn't that a pleasant thought when she was contemplating doing just that?

"Mother, give me strength and keep me from making a stupid mistake," she prayed. Pushing her nose against the ground, she took a huge breath of air before jumping up and throwing herself into the flames. Half of her was fully expecting to fall to the ground in the grips of unimaginable agony, but surprisingly, nothing happened, and she passed harmlessly onto the other side. She didn't even realize she had gone through until she forced herself to open her eyes and turned to see that the flames were now behind her.

Emboldened by the knowledge that she had passed through harmlessly, Kagome dropped back to her knees and started crawling again. Her knees began to ache as she moved across the forest floor at an agonizingly slow pace. The further she got from the "flames", the darker it grew, and that was upsetting all over again. She took several slow, deep breaths and pressed forward, pausing only occasionally to cough. It was a good fifteen or twenty minutes before she was far enough away that she couldn't see the fire behind her, and the darkness pressed in on her again, making her feel like she was choking. Kagome fought back a shudder of revulsion and reached for one of her arrows. Even if it gave away her position, she didn't care. Sitting back on her heels, she aimed the arrow towards the sky, summoned her miko powers, and let it fly.

A tiny flash of pink power briefly illuminated the area as the arrow soared upwards about ten feet before rebounding off of a barrier that lit up with a blue crackle of lightening when the miko power surged against it. Kagome threw herself to the ground, hands over her head, and was uncomfortably reminded of her time with Kikyou as her arrow sank deeply into the ground less than two feet away from her head. Grumbling, she sat up and grabbed the end, yanking it out of the dirt easily. A barrier, huh? That had to be Naraku's doing, no questions asked. If she traveled far enough, she would probably come to the end of it soon enough... though whether or not she would be able to escape was another question entirely.

Not that it really mattered. What other choices did she have? With that thought in mind, she groped around until she was able to push the arrow back into quiver before she kept going. Eventually, her knees got so sore that she couldn't crawl anymore, and she was forced to stand up and walk. That was tons of fun. It definitely proved she was still in the forest. Kagome was pretty sure that she walked into every branch in the forest before she learned to hold her hands up in front of her face before taking a step forward. More than once, she tripped over an invisible root and landed on her face. She was utterly fuming by the time she made it to the barrier... which she discovered by walking into it and being repelled so hard she fell backwards onto her ass. If Naraku had appeared in front of her at that moment, he probably would have been genuinely frightened by the look of absolute murder in her eyes.

"Slowly and painfully," she vowed under her breath, dragging herself to her feet with the help of a tree that was next to her. Or at least, she assumed (hoped) it was a tree. "Slowly and painfully, Naraku, I swear."

Hesitantly, ready for more backlash, Kagome reached out and explored the barrier with her hands. It didn't shove her away this time, but she could feel little shocks teasing the skin on her palms. It didn't hurt, just itched, but she suspected that pressing with any more force would have yielded a very different result. With a thoughtful expression, she measured how far up it went. About a foot above her, the darkness suddenly curved over her head, like she was trapped inside of a large bowl. Knowing Naraku, he had probably done just that. But knowledge did little to help her to escape. Inuyasha was the only one who could break Naraku's barriers, and for all she knew, he wasn't even trapped in there with her. And if he was, it was impossible to say what kind of trouble he had run into.

"Well... I can create a barrier, so I should be able to destroy one, right?" she pondered, rubbing her hands together to get rid of the slightly numb feeling that had infused them. Brute force probably wasn't going to work. The barrier had already proven that it would repel her if she tried that, and she doubted that her whip would have much effect on a stationary object. That left her miko powers, which still weren't functioning properly due what she suspected to be all of the darkness and youkai power around her. Her power had become a dull hum in the back of her head. Curious to see what would happen, she summoned a bit of her power to her hand and touched the barrier. It shivered underneath the touch, but there was no backlash.

Kagome backed off a step or two and stared forward sightlessly, contemplating the issue. Her miko power had the tendency to be strongest when she used her arrows as a guide. She still wasn't that skilled at using her power without a conductor, and she doubted that she ever would be. It didn't help that she was missing the shards. But the last time she'd fired an arrow, it hadn't ended well; she'd almost shot herself instead. But what choice did she have? Reluctantly, she notched another arrow, lit it up with her power, and let it fly. As expected, it bounced harmlessly off and struck the ground a few feet away. The light died quickly, but she had just enough time to see that it hadn't done any damage.

"Damn. Damn damn damn! Naraku, you bastard, you're going to pay for this!" she shouted, suddenly pissed and no longer caring about the possibility of giving away her location. Furious, she shot off several arrows, one after the other, until she had no more left. Then she collected what she could find, using her hands and what she could remember from the brief view she'd gotten of the area before the light of her power faded away. If nothing else, using her miko arrows was giving her a rough sense of the area. Once she'd retrieved as many as she could find, she began firing them off again with grim determination, always striving to hit the same spot, hoping to weaken the barrier. Then she did it a third time. And a fourth. A fifth. A sixth, even though she was beginning to run low on arrows, since she found fewer each time. In the end, though, her persistence paid off.

Somewhere around the sixty-fifth or so arrow (she'd lost count the mid thirties, after she hadn't quite been quick enough to dodge one and it nicked her cheek), her arrow hit the barrier and didn't bounce off. Kagome's hands, which had reached automatically for another arrow out of her quiver, stilled, and she stared up at the spot just above her head, breathing hard. The arrow was frozen in mid-air, the tip just barely touching the side of the barrier, like someone was holding it there. She could see the power fluctuating around it, spreading out across the barrier in thin needles of pink lightening, but she didn't understand until the familiar wave of golden power appeared, traversing the barrier like an unstoppable tidal wave. Relief tingled across her skin and she sank to her knees, suddenly aware of how tired she was, as the power of the Tetsusaiga scooped up her miko power and absorbed it.

The barrier shuddered. Strained. Shattered.

It was like sharp pieces of glass raining down on top of her. Kagome pressed her face to the ground and curled her arms against her body for protection. Her breathing was so quiet that it took her a moment to realize that she could hear other sounds now. Birds. The faint trickling of a stream. A squirrel chattering as it raced across the branches over her head. She couldn't stop the smile that broke out across her face as she lifted her head and shook the glass off, like a puppy would shake after a bath. Most of the fragments vanished before they struck the ground, sparkling like innocent drops in the warm sunlight.

Ah, yes, the sunlight. Nothing had ever felt as good as the warmth against her skin and the light illuminating every inch of the grove as far as the eye could see. Now she could easily make out where her arrows had hit the ground. She had to force herself to stand and winced as the wound in her side pulled and began to bleed sluggishly. Her knees were badly scraped and bruised, and so were the palms of her hands. No doubt she had a spectacular collection of bruises on her face from blindly walking into things and a collectively large on her ass from walking into the barrier. Little wonder her whole body felt like one large throb of pain. Sighing wearily, she moved around slowly, collecting her arrows one after the other.

When she had picked up the last arrow and slid it home in her quiver, she realized something. The shards were tugging at her again, singing against the swell of her power. Kagome turned unconsciously in the direction of the song, her eyes wide. If there were shards nearby, then that probably meant Naraku was as well. Why? Had he not realized that Inuyasha and Kagome's combined power would be enough to break the barrier? Without stopping to think about the danger she might be putting herself in, she started to run, ducking around branches and leaping over roots, following the blazing trail of the shards of the shikon no tama.

Her ears twitched, alerting her to the sound of metal-against-wind. Kagome skidded to a stop and threw herself to the ground for the about the fourth time that day. She was just in time. A gleaming dagger sliced through the air over her head and embedded itself deeply into the tree beside her, exactly where her neck had been a moment ago. Footsteps approached, scuffling through the underbrush. A figure emerged from between two trees: a young man, tall, with familiar dark brown eyes and tousled black hair. For a split moment, she thought history was repeating itself, and a bolt of agony shot through her heart – _pleasenoOnee-chancouldn'ttakeit_ – before she saw that while the man bore a striking resemblance to Yukio, it wasn't Yukio after all.

"You are strong," he observed, one of his hands falling to the sword that hung at his side. "Stronger than I had anticipated. I thought that the rumours were just that, but I suppose they're not, after all."

"Who are you?" Kagome asked, sitting back on her heels and eyeing him distrustfully. He looked enough like Seiko and Yukio to tell her that he had to be related to them in some way, and his clothing – the tight blue body-suit with more advanced, black armour worn over top – told her that he was a taijiya as well. Likely a skilled and strong one, judging by how deeply the dagger had sunk. "What do you want? Why are you attacking me?"

"You're a hanyou," he said, like that was an answer to everything. Maybe it was. "Not that it will matter long to you, but my name is Mori Hayato. My job is to exterminate creatures like you." In one smooth movement, he drew the sword from its sheath. Steel flashed brightly, nearly blinding Kagome, and she winced, shielding her eyes. "I believed the barrier would be enough to kill a hanyou, but it seems that Naraku was right to ask the help of me and my comrades. Once you're dead, my dear cousin will come to her senses and return home."

She shifted, hard-pressed to decide what pissed her off more: the almost casual way in which Hayato had dropped Naraku's name, or the comment about Seiko. Kagome leaned forward, growling low in her throat to hide the slight fear that had flashed through her. Naraku never chose weak partners, so she was facing a battle that she was unprepared for. "Seiko-chan is with us of her own free will. She won't be very happy with you when she hears that you've been trying to attack me," she said meaningfully. "And if you've really been stupid enough to make a deal with someone like Naraku, then you deserve every inch of the beating she's going to give you if you hurt me."

His lip curled. "Please. I know what youkai can do to a human. You've... corrupted her somehow. Brainwashed her. It's unnatural, you know, the way she fawns over you and that child. She was a strong warrior until the four of you came around. Now she calls you her _pack_!" He spat the word as though it was a curse. "My cousin is a human!"

"Like that matters?" Kagome cried, amazed and frustrated all at once. He wasn't being controlled. His movements were steady, measured, and cunning. No, he was attacking out of a true desire to kill her... which made things both easier and harder. "This is something far older than you. Onee-chan belongs with us. She loves me. I'm her sister. You can't change that!"

Instantly, she knew it had been the wrong thing to say, though just which part of her exclamation infuriated him, she wasn't sure. His face flushed with anger and he charged forward without a word, sword ready to cleave her in two. He was fast, faster than she had expected, and it was only sheer luck that allowed her to get out of the way in time. He didn't seem to mind that she had leapt out of the way. It occurred to her that he had expected it as he turned slowly to face her, one hand rising and gripping the end of the dagger. She swallowed hard as he pulled it from the bark as easily as though it had been rooted in soft butter.

"Please don't do this," she whispered. "I'm telling you, we're not the bad guys here."

"You're a hanyou. That's all I need to know," he answered, slender fingers curling around the point of the dagger. "Don't expect your mate to come save you. Naraku is dealing with him. Your hide is _mine_."

As he spoke, he threw with a cold, casual but deadly aim. Kagome dodged instinctively and kept moving, running away from him in any direction that seemed to be a good one. She was frightened, and it wasn't just because of the fact that a powerful taijiya was chasing her through the grove and deeper into the forest. He was talking about her like she was an animal, something that to be put down for the safety of the people around her. Never in her life had she been spoken about like that. Sometimes, back in the past, villagers would gossip about Inuyasha and Shippou in that manner, and it used to make her angry on their behalf. Now she realized that indignant anger had been a small cry from the band of fury that was currently wrapped around her chest.

"You're being foolish!" she yelled over her shoulder, springing straight up into the air. Her feet and hands caught a sturdy-looking branch and she managed to swing herself around so that she could cling to it, huddling close to the trunk. Seconds later, he was directly below her, looking around the clearing slowly. Either he'd picked up the dagger or had another stashed on his body, because he held one in his left hand, ready to throw with deadly accurate aim.

"It is you who is the fool," he said softly, clearly realizing that she was close enough to hear with no problem. "Naraku told me, and I doubted him... but you did come, didn't you? To find the shards. Like a moth to a flame..."

The shards. Shame and dread struck her with enough force to nearly topple her from the tree as she remembered the blind way she'd struck out after the shards without thinking about the consequences. How could she have been so stupid as to fall into his trap? Damn it! Kagome gritted her teeth and tried not to pay attention to what he was saying, knowing that he was purposely trying to make her angry so that she would screw up. She couldn't afford to do that, not when a single mistake would cost her dearly. There had to be some way out of this mess. All she had to do was think, and she was running short on time to do just that.

"Come out, hanyou," he called. It didn't seem to have occurred to him to look up. "I promise to make your death a swift one if you give yourself up."

Like that was going to happen. Rolling her eyes, Kagome looked around, taking assessment of the situation and her injuries. Although her side was aching with a slow, steady throb, the bleeding appeared to have stopped. Her hands and knees hurt, but not to the point where her mobility would be impaired. She looked down at him, contemplating him silently, hoping that he wouldn't find her until she had figured out what to do. Running wouldn't do her any good, because she was fairly certain that he would chase her until the job was done. Could she take him in a fight? He was tall and well muscled, had several weapons at his disposal, and he moved with a grace that told her of years of training. Furthermore, he was Seiko's cousin, and she really didn't want to kill him.

"Time for plan B, then," she said to herself, her lips barely moving. Naraku might have thought that he had all of the cards, but Kagome still had a few up her sleeve. It would take most of the energy she had left, but if she could incapacitate him... Readying herself, she took a deep breath and rolled off of the branch. She landed behind him without a sound, yet he still spun immediately and launched a dagger in her direction. Caught off guard, she could only yelp when the dagger opened a small scratch on her cheek, just below the one that her arrow had caused. He was toying with her, she realized as she gently touched her cheek. Her fingers came away bloody. That shot could have easily killed her, yet he had chosen to miss. "Why are you doing this? No matter what Naraku told you, we haven't done anything to Seiko to make her _have_ to stay with us. We're her friends."

Hayato sneered, looking unaffected by her words. "Naraku had no need to tell me anything. It was obvious to everyone. Like I said, you're a hanyou and my cousin is human. You don't belong together and she will understand that when you're dead. I knew when you came to visit the Center that an extermination of you would prove necessary to make her come to her senses." He drew his sword again. "I will terminate you so that our family can be the best."

"I don't want to hurt you if Onee-chan loves you," Kagome told him. She realized too late that she shouldn't have called Seiko her sister when he leapt at her with a furious yell. Thinking quickly, she dodged to the side and threw a kick at his unprotected back. He stumbled and fell, nearly impaling himself on his sword, as she darted around behind him. "She's a part of my pack and I won't let you take her away from us just because you think that you know what's best. That's not how it works!"

"What would you know?" he yelled back, grabbing his sword and spinning around. The almost crazed look in his dark eyes made Kagome stumble backwards, suddenly afraid. "You are filthy, disgusting half-breeds who have no right to live in this world. You taint others with your every presence! I will destroy you!"

"Teishijikan no hoippu!" Her hand came up instinctively, summoning the powerful whip. As it snapped towards him, Kagome felt an incredible drain of energy that nearly caused her to fall to her knees. She let go without thinking and watched as the whip coiled around Hayato's body. The golden sheen she was used to swelled over him, but it was weak and soon died away. He continued to lurch forward, but it was like he was moving in slow motion, and she had no problem staggering out of the way of his attack. A look of amazement slowly formed on his face as he turned in her direction, the manoeuvre taking a minute or two instead of seconds.

It didn't take her long to understand what had happened. Her energy levels were so depleted that instead of stopping time, she'd merely slowed it down for him. To him, she was now moving incredibly fast, at speeds that not even a hanyou or youkai should have been able to attain. Kagome stared at him, caught between horror at what she'd done and a feeling that he'd deserved it. He kept coming, still trying to attack even when she merely walked out of the way. Ultimately, pity drove her to pick up a rock and knock him upside the head so that she didn't have to watch him stagger around anymore. His body collapsed on the ground and she hovered over him, watching his chest rise and fall at the kind of slow pace that would have normally killed him.

"Idiot," she whispered, feeling completely drained. Kneeling next to him, Kagome searched his clothing for the shards she could tell that he possessed. They were tucked into a little pocket on the inside of his shirt, four in total. She held them in her cupped palms and regarded them sadly, thinking of the large chunk Naraku had stolen from her. Were these the only shards that kept him from possessing the full shikon no tama? If so, they were in trouble, and she needed to find Inuyasha before Naraku came to find them and her.

Just before she left, Kagome placed a hand on Hayato's ankle and summoned back the energy from the whip. She felt better after having taken it off of him, and she was able to stand up without feeling like she was going to topple over. Hayato would be back to normal when he woke up, which was why she took the extra few minutes to securely tie his hands and feet with some rope she found in the pocket of his pants. It was stronger rope than she was used to, possibly created for use on a hanyou, and she suspected that he'd have a difficult time getting out of it without the help of a knife. Just to be sure, she searched him as a thoroughly as she dared and left most of his weapons on the far side of the clearing... except for a couple of daggers. He'd been wearing wrist sheaths that allowed him to keep the daggers pinned to the inside of his wrists. Kagome borrowed those as well.

But those weren't the only things she took. In the back pocket of Hayato's pants, she found a cell phone. Kagome grabbed it and clutched it to her chest like it was made of gold. "Thank Kami-sama," she breathed, opening it. The screen flickered to life and, much to her surprise, showed off a map of the forest she was standing in. The spot where she had encountered Hayato was marked by a solid black X, and there was a path not too far away from that point that would lead her out. According to the map, she was close to the edge of the forest, so all she would have to do was get back to the clearing, then find her way to the path. Easy.

"I'm so out of here," she said out loud, rising to her feet. She left Hayato where he lay, figuring that someone could be sent to retrieve him later, and ran for freedom.

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Please review!


	23. Family Matters

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, everyone. It's wonderful to receive so much support. I've been thinking about the future of this story and, as much as it might sadden you to hear, I know the end is getting closer. I suspect that this story will have less than thirty chapters. I haven't quite gotten as far to think of the ending (right now I'm just hoping it will be awesome) but just to let you know. Don't we all want to see Naraku go down? I know I certainly do! Enjoy!

**Notice:** To give you advance warning, I received a job offer today. I don't start until January 9th, but that means I won't have my days empty to write at my leisure (I miss it already). I'm going to do my best to try to keep up with one chapter a week, though.

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Chapter 23: Family Matters

Cell phones were damn useful things to have around, and she was _definitely_ going to be getting one very soon. Kagome found her way back to the path with no problems at all thanks to the phone she'd "borrowed". She could feel shards of the shikon no tama calling out to her, but there was no way she was going to fall for that one again. It took a lot of determination to ignore the sensation, but Kagome managed it. Dutifully, she followed the path back through the woods and into the little grove of trees, until she had emerged into the park. There was no sign of Inuyasha or any of her friends, but she was so grateful to be back in the city that she could have cried. Naraku was encouraging a fierce hatred of forests, that was for certain.

She moved over to one of the little benches and sank down onto it gratefully before she dialled Seiko's phone number. The phone rang several times, and just when she was beginning to despair of anyone picking up, it clicked through. Before the person on the other end had a chance to say anything, Kagome spoke desperately. "Hello? Hello? Who is this?"

"Kagome-chan? It's Matsu," came the strong voice her older brother. "Where are you? We've been searching for you ever since you and Inuyasha disappeared. Are you alright?"

That time, she really did have to fight back tears. She had to swallow a couple of times before she could speak. "We're in a small park on the Eastern side of town," she said in a quivery voice. "I think Naraku led us into a trap. I got separated from Inuyasha and we were placed beneath a barrier. I think our combined powers broke it, but then I was attacked by a taijiya from Onee-chan's family, and Inuyasha is fighting with Naraku or maybe some other taijiya, and I can sense the other shards but I don't dare follow them..." Her voice trailed off and she realized with some horror that she sounded somewhat hysterical.

"Stay there. We're locked onto the cell phone you're calling from and we should be there in just a few minutes, alright?" Matsu said. "Can you stay on the line with me?"

"Yeah, I – " A dull click cut Kagome off before she could say anything else. She pulled the phone from her ear and looked down at the screen. Much to her dismay, the words "low battery: 10% remaining" flashed across the bottom. "Fuck! That stupid idiot couldn't even charge his own damn cell phone," she swore, biting her lip so hard that she tasted blood.

The singing of the shards hadn't stopped, and it was becoming more tempting to disregard Matsu's instructions and follow the trail, just in case it led her to Inuyasha. Kagome forced herself to remain still, knowing that she wasn't really in any condition for another fight. Even if she could find her way to him, she would be more of a hindrance than a help. She was relieved when, several minutes later, she caught several familiar scents on the wind, and then Kirara, with Seiko, Matsu, and Yukio, landed in the small park. Moments later, Kouga and Sesshoumaru were on the scene as well. Every one of them looked mostly healthy, a fact that she noted distractedly out of the corner of her eye as she threw herself into the arms of the closest person. Matsu cradled her against his chest and stroked her hair.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously, having seen the bloody stain on her shirt.

"I'm fine," Kagome said into his shoulder, clinging to him with all of her strength. "I have a new-found hatred for Naraku, but other than that, I'm alright. Really." She forced herself to take a step back so that she could look up into his eyes. The concern she saw there made her feel both guilty and loved. "But you have to help Inuyasha. I think he's run into trouble... Naraku or taijiya or maybe even both. We got separated in the forest, so for all I know – "

"Taijiya?" Seiko said, unintentionally cutting Kagome off. "Why would you think..." Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Kagome's cheek. Unexpectedly, she stepped forward and seized the younger girl's chin, turning her head roughly. A low, furious growl escaped her throat as she gently touched the lowest scratch on Kagome's cheek, the one caused by Hayato. Even though she didn't mean to be rough, Kagome still winced, and the taijiya's eyes narrowed with anger. "Who did this to you, Kagome-chan?"

"Onee-chan... I don't think..." she began meekly.

Seiko breathed out in a low hiss. "So it_ was_ him. That bastard. I'm going to kill him."

"Nee-chan?" Yukio asked, looking worried.

"Hayato," Seiko confirmed with a steely nod, releasing Kagome's chin. Rage blazed in her dark brown eyes, and Kagome was suddenly glad that she'd left Hayato in the woods instead of making an attempt to carry the boy out with her. At this rate, Seiko really would have given him a beating, and she didn't know if her sister would have stopped before crossing the line. "I recognize the scratch on your cheek, Kagome-chan. I suffered many of them when I was growing up and my damnable cousin couldn't keep his daggers to himself. I should have known he couldn't be trusted..."

"He's still in there," she offered. "When he tried to attack me, I used my whip to slow him down before I tied him up."

"I'll deal with him. You guys go see if you can find Inuyasha and help him." Seiko looked towards Sesshoumaru and Kouga. Both of them gave her a short nod before they disappeared into the forest. Matsu paused just long enough to drop a gentle kiss onto Seiko's lips before he went after them. Traveling on foot would mean he trailed behind the two men, but there was a very real chance that Inuyasha might need help while the two youkai were fighting, and he didn't feel right about taking Kirara.

"Kagome-chan, do you feel up to showing us where that bastard is?" Seiko asked grimly.

Kagome just nodded and exchanged a quick, worried look with Yukio. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Seiko so angry, and it was disturbing. Seiko climbed onto Kirara, followed by Kagome, and then Yukio behind her. It felt good to lean back against the younger boy's solid strength and not have to worry about slipping off of Kirara. Yukio's hands remained a steady presence on her shoulders as Kirara leapt into the air with a burst of flame. The youkai soared over the woods, breathing in deeply. She caught the scent and voiced a low chirp of satisfaction as she pitched forward into a controlled dive. As they headed towards the ground, Kagome caught sight of Hayato. He was still tightly trussed up, but he was now conscious and squirming furiously in an attempt to get free. As soon as he caught sight of them, he started cursing up a storm... until he spotted Seiko. Then his mouth snapped shut and he went white.

"You...!" Seiko hissed, sliding off of Kirara. Stalking over to Hayato, she gripped his bodysuit with both hands and easily yanked him up off of the forest floor. He made a muffled sound of pain and winced as she slammed him backwards against the nearest tree. "How _dare_ you attack my little sister, and on the word of Naraku, at that!"

"I didn't need Naraku to tell me what is evident with my own eyes," Hayato snapped, seeming insulted by her accusation. He kept trying to look around Seiko at Kagome and Yukio, but she had purposely positioned herself so that he had no choice but to look directly at her. "These hanyou have poisoned and corrupted your mind, Cousin! In order to be free of their control, they have to be killed. It is the only – " His words were cut off when Seiko jerked him forwards and then shoved him back again.

"Enough!" she roared, her fingers tightening into fists. "Kagome-chan and Inuyasha are not controlling me. You are a fool, Hayato. If you had succeeded in killing Kagome, no one would have been able to keep you safe."

"My life means nothing if I was able to free you!" he yelled back.

"I'm so glad to hear that." Coolly, she released him. Hayato was unable to support himself and slumped to the ground, staring up at her with the first flicker of fear in his eyes as it occurred to him that Seiko was not joking or playing around. She put a hand to her left shoulder and drew forth one of her swords. Yukio tensed. "You really have no idea what kind of havoc you nearly created. This world would fall to pieces if Kagome was dead. You stupid, foolish, irresponsible _child_!"

"Onee-chan, stop!" Kagome shouted, lunging forward. Her hands curled around Seiko's wrist, stopping the downward movement of the sword seconds before it would have struck Hayato. "Please, don't. He's not worth it."

"He nearly killed you," Seiko said, her eyes burning with hatred. "You know what would have happened if you were dead, Kagome? Naraku would win. All of us would completely..." She swallowed hard. "It would be..."

"I know," she said quietly, her voice soft and soothing. She gently pulled Seiko's hand down until she could take the sword out of her sister's grasp. "I was angry at him, too. But despite what he might claim, I think he was more influenced by Naraku than he realized. You know that Naraku loves playing his little mind games, and he can do it with anyone. Even someone who is virtually innocent." Kagome looked down at Hayato, who, while he glared at her, seemed to possess enough instinct of self-preservation to realize that it was far better to remain silent. "Besides, if you kill him, then his blood will be on your hands, and you've always tried your best to avoid killing humans. It would be such a waste."

Seiko wavered, and then sighed as she stepped backwards. "How do you do that?" she demanded with a rueful grin. "You always seem to know what to say to calm us down, Kagome-chan."

"I've had years of experience with Inuyasha," Kagome answered wryly, eyeing Hayato. In spite of her words to Seiko, she didn't trust the boy in the slightest. There was no doubt in her mind that if Hayato had the chance, he would plunge one of his daggers into her heart without feeling even a little bit of guilt. He couldn't be allowed to roam free. "I think you should take him back to your family. Let them know that Naraku has been twisting his mind." A small smile tugged at her lips. "He seems to think that Inuyasha and I have warped your mind when the opposite is true."

"I'll do it," Yukio volunteered, stepping forward. He looked down at Hayato with an expression that was surprisingly cold, and it occurred to Kagome for the first time that maybe Seiko wasn't the only one she had to worry about. "Mother and Father would be really interested to hear that Hayato-kun was trying to kill someone who was so precious to Nee-chan, and I bet Loki-oba-san would love to hear about it as well. Maybe we should visit her first."

Hayato's head snapped up and his eyes widened with horror. "No! Please don't! I'll do anything you want. I'll stop hunting the hanyou. Just please, don't tell my mother."

"Loki?" Kagome asked curiously.

"She's our aunt," Seiko said, a gleam in her eyes as a smirk crossed her face. She folded her arms and took a step backwards so that Yukio could get to Hayato. "Unlike most of the taijiya in our family, she's never approved of the strike first, ask questions later policy. Her family was killed by youkai when she was young, but she was adopted by a family of kitsune who put her into taijiya training so that she would always know how to defend herself. She absolutely abhors anyone who wants all youkai or hanyou to be eradicated, and when she hears about Hayato, she's going to be furious." There was a definite note of glee present in her voice.

Yukio pulled a small knife from his pocket and bent down. He sliced the rope that was holding Hayato's ankles together and easily yanked him to his feet. "Yes, I think that's where we'll go first. Do you mind if we borrow Kirara, Nee-chan? I'm sure that our cousin wouldn't want to put this visit off any longer than he has to."

"Absolutely." Still smirking, Seiko helped her brother to get Hayato on top of Kirara. Yukio swung up onto the cat youkai behind him so that Hayato couldn't escape. The two girls watched as Kirara leapt into the sky, leaving them behind. Seiko put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Well, there goes divine justice. Oba-san is going to make him wish he'd never come near you."

"Sounds good to me," Kagome said with a grin, wishing that she could be there when Hayato and Loki had that conversation. "Onee-chan, I'm worried about Inuyasha. Can we go find him?"

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Seiko looked at her younger sister with concern. Kagome didn't look so good. Her face was pale and scratched, her uniform was soaked with blood, she swayed when she walked, and her knees were badly bruised. "It might be better if we left the forest and just waited for them."

"No!" Kagome shook her head and clutched at her sister's arm. "You know what Naraku is like. I have to make sure that he's okay. I know Inuyasha is stronger than me, but if he's faced even twice as much as I have today..."

"Alright, but only because I know you won't rest until you know he's okay." Seiko retrieved her sword and slid it back into the scabbard across her back. Then she wrapped her arm around Kagome's waist, mindful of the wound, and began helping her walk through the forest towards where Kagome could feel the shards of the shikon no tama coming from. Before long, she didn't need Kagome's direction, as the sounds of battle were easy to hear.

Pulling away from Seiko, Kagome rushed forward just in time to see Inuyasha take down one of Naraku's puppets with the Tetsusaiga. A few shards fell to the ground and for a moment, the only sound in the clearing was that of harsh breathing. Matsu was down on his knees beside Sesshoumaru, who had an ugly gash across his stomach that, judging by the livid bruising and ugly discolouring around it, had been poisoned. Kouga was standing beside them, body tense. Neither he nor Inuyasha appeared to have been harmed, and she let out a sigh of relief as she hurried over to the shards and picked up the three of them. That made seven shards in their possession and a hell of a lot more in Naraku's hands, but at least it was something.

"Kagome." Inuyasha's arms wrapped around her from behind. "Are you alright?"

"I will be," she said honestly, knowing better than to say that she was when she really wasn't. Carefully, she turned within the circle of his arms and looked up into his golden eyes. A wave of relief went through her, so strong that her knees nearly grew weak. Inuyasha's arms tightened just enough to keep her from sliding to the ground. Kagome couldn't stop her smile. He was always there for her, wasn't he? "I'm sorry I scared you, Inuyasha."

"It's alright," the hanyou answered, though the flicker in his eyes told her that it really wasn't. He'd been well and truly heartbroken when Naraku had announced that Kagome was dead, and smelling her blood all over the hands of that cat youkai had nearly driven him over the edge completely. As it was, it had sent him into a rage that was likely only matched by the one he usually entered when he was a full youkai, and it had only ended when Kagome had rushed into his arms. The memory of that first moment of holding her and knowing she wasn't dead hit him all over again, and he sighed heavily, resting his forehead against hers. "Kagome, you have to stop scaring me like that."

"I know," she said quietly, her voice meant for his ears alone. "I should have thought of some other way to... I just didn't want anyone else to get hurt." The urge to cry rose up in her now that it was all over, but she swallowed the tears. Inuyasha couldn't stand it when she cried because it made him feel so helpless. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. You know I would never leave you."

"Kagome, I..." His voice trailed off.

Her heart skipped a beat. "Inuyasha?"

"I... I..."

Whatever else he'd been about to say was cut off when Matsu called to them, interrupting their little moment. Inuyasha's face twisted and he sighed at the lost chance, turning away to face the younger man. He kept an arm around Kagome's waist and helped her to walk over to the four of them. Sesshoumaru appeared to have passed out, which indicated that the wound was likely more serious than she'd guessed at first sight. Kouga was now seated on the ground, and his left hand was gripping his right shoulder tightly. Seiko was kneeling behind him, a serious look on her face as she felt along his arm. Matsu was beside Sesshoumaru.

"We've called for help," Matsu told them, sounding apologetic. "They should be here soon. Sesshoumaru is losing a lot of blood, and I think he's been poisoned."

"He was hit by one of the puppet's tentacles," Inuyasha told them. "Couldn't get out of the way fast enough. Guess the old man is finally showing his age." It was meant to be taken as a joke, but from the quick flash in his amber eyes, Kagome could tell that it bothered him more than he wanted to let on.

"Kouga-kun, are you okay?" she asked, deciding to ask Inuyasha about it later, when they were in private.

Kouga nodded and then grimaced when Seiko's fingers probed at a tender spot. "Dislocated my shoulder. It's fine now. Kagome, I'm sorry that Ayame and I weren't at the school to help you. Naraku set us up." His face grew dark, anger gleaming. "Bastard."

"It's alright," she soothed, not wanting him to get upset. "It doesn't matter anymore. Everyone is okay and that's all that counts." Inuyasha's arm tightened briefly around her waist, as though he would have wanted to argue, but he said nothing. Kagome sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, content to wait in silence for more help to arrive.

**IKIKIKIK**

Several hours later, Kagome opened her eyes, blinked, and sighed when she realized that she had fallen asleep. As gently as possible, she eased her way out from between Shippou and Souta with a wince as she got to her feet. After she'd been seen to by Sesshoumaru's doctors, she had insisted that she visit her family at the shrine, just to be sure that Naraku hadn't threatened them as well. She'd visited with her mother for several minutes before the woman drifted off, and then she had been set upon by her brother and her son. It had taken some time to comfort them, and now it had grown late, and the grounds of the shrine had fallen into silence, but she knew that Inuyasha couldn't be far. A quick sniff of the area told her that he was outside by the Goshinboku.

Curious, she pushed the door open and spotted him immediately. He was seated at the base of the Goshinboku with his back against the trunk, his arms crossed and head bowed. His silvery hair blew gently with the wind, shielding his eyes from sight. Tetsusaiga was on the ground near him within easy reach. To most people, Inuyasha would have looked like he was sleeping, but Kagome knew better even before she had gotten close enough to see that his eyes were indeed closed. After a day like the one they'd had, there was no way Inuyasha would have gone to sleep without having guards posted. Resting, yes. Sleeping, no.

Sure enough, his eyes opened when she was about ten feet away. "You should be resting."

"I can rest in more than one place," she pointed out, crossing the remaining space between them quickly. It seemed perfectly natural to sit down in his lap, with her bottom pressed snugly against his right knee. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist and she shivered, her body chilled by the sudden warmth. The shot of painkillers that the doctors had given her were beginning to wear off, but it would be some time yet before it got unbearable. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted me to go home and rest, but I just had to make sure that Mama and Souta were okay."

"I know," Inuyasha sighed, resting his cheek on top of her head. She felt good in his arms. "You have every right to worry about them. Is your mother okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Kagome said with a tiny smile. Thank Kami-sama that her wounds had been tended to before she arrived, or Kimiko would have _really_ freaked out. She kept remembering her mother's fears that someday she would get the phone call that every parent dreaded. If things kept going the way they were, that was looking more and more likely. "I can tell she's gotten a lot sicker, though. Her face is so pale, and she has trouble staying away from more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a time. Jii-chan told me..." She swallowed hard to keep from crying. "He said that the doctors said that someday soon, she'll go to sleep and she just won't wake up."

Inuyasha's face twisted, and he didn't say anything for a moment. Kimiko had always been kind to him, but what's more, he hated the thought that Souta and Kagome would lose their mother. The memory of his own mother's death plagued him more and more. Izayoi had held on until the very end before slipping away. Her death had meant that his life had gone to hell, literally, for her people had turned on him almost immediately, before her body was even cold. His arms tightened briefly around Kagome, and he spared a moment to be relieved that nothing of the sort would happen to the siblings after Kimiko's death. Kagome and Souta were mourn her passing deeply, but they would always have a home to come to if he had anything to say about it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered at last. The words felt coldly inadequate in the face of Kagome's pain. His youkai instincts were raging at the fact that his mate was in pain and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I know," she returned, nuzzling her nose against his neck. "I wish I could do something. I wish there was some way for me to make her want to live... But then I think that's pretty selfish, don't you?"

"She's your mother," Inuyasha pointed out. "If you wanted her to die, I'd be worried."

Kagome giggled, just once. "I suppose so. At least she's not in any pain." Her smile wavered and slipped away, and she ducked her head, curling in closer to his body. "I don't think it will be long now."

He sighed, his breath fluttering against her soft hair. "Do you...?"

"What?"

"Do you want to have the wedding before she passes on?" It was a hard question to ask. Some part of him still feared her rejection, even though he had never been surer that she wouldn't. He felt Kagome tense in surprise, and looked down to see that she had tilted her head back to stare up at him.

"You would be willing to..." Her voice trailed off and she smiled shyly. "Inuyasha..."

Inexplicably, he could feel himself getting flustered. "I... Well... The wedding was more for your mother than anyone else," he mumbled, blushing. "It doesn't make any sense to have one after she's dead. I figured... I thought you might want her to see that you had someone to take care of you, so that she wouldn't worry about you so much. It doesn't mean... We don't have to... If you're not ready, Kagome, I don't want to – "

A small, slender finger landed over his lips, silencing him as effectively as if she'd punched him. "I want to marry you, Inuyasha," she said quietly. "I want to mate with you. The fact that you would be willing to go through with a human ceremony just for my mother's sake is the sweetest thing I've ever heard of. Yes, please, let's get married soon. But you should know that my mother already knows that you will always be there for me. Neither one of us has ever doubted that, even for a minute." Her hand caressed the back of his head briefly, then moved up and stroked one of his ears. "If you're sure you're okay with this, I think Onee-chan, Rin-chan, Ayame-chan and I could plan something small."

"Make it as large as you want," he said against her finger. He kissed it gently, enjoying the way her eyes darkened, the gold becoming more prominent. For the past several years, he'd dreamed of mating with Kagome, but he'd never dared to hope that it would ever actually happen. Now that it was so close, he didn't want to put it off any longer. The thought of knowing that no one would _ever_ be able to take her away was utterly intoxicating. Only the knowledge of the fact that they were at the shrine, in a very public place, and that Kagome was injured kept him from pressing the matter further immediately.

"I don't need anything big," Kagome said, her eyes fixated on the way his lips were stroking her skin. She fought the urge to shiver. "It will just be a few of my friends from school... the rest of my family... maybe some of my mother's friends..." Her breath caught when he drew the tip of her finger into his mouth and began sucking on it, nipping gently with his teeth. "Souta might want to... want to... um... invite some of his classmates as well..."

"Anything you want," he murmured, finally releasing her finger and shifting slightly. The spike in her scent was having a serious effect on him. "Anything for you, Kagome."

Her eyes softened and she leaned forward, pulling him into a kiss that made both of them groan. Kagome had never felt the way she did right then, but her youkai blood was singing to her, practically begging her to seduce Inuyasha. The jolt of pain she felt from her waist when she pressed against him helped to bring her back down to reality. Reluctantly, she broke off the kiss and realized that both of them were breathing hard. There was a telling hardness beneath her left thigh, and common sense told her to stop before things went far enough that they were unable to stop. That wasn't the sort of thing she wanted either Souta or Shippou to walk in on. With a sigh, she cuddled back up to him. Knowing what she was thinking, Inuyasha stroked her hair and began ordering his body to calm down.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Would you do something for me?"

"Yes."

The fact that he hadn't even asked what she wanted made her love him even more. Kagome smiled to herself and said, "On that night, when we get married, I want you to wear your fire-rat robes." She could tell the request surprised him, but after a moment, she felt him nod against her hair. Satisfied, Kagome curled into his body and closed her eyes, content to rest for a little while with her soon-to-be-mate watching over her.

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Please review!


	24. Come Into My World

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the reviews! Having read them and knowing how much you guys are looking forward to the wedding chapter, I hope I do it justice. I'm still not entirely sure how I want the end to be pulled off, as I want to avoid running into any major clichés (ironic since this story is built around one of the biggest Inuyasha clichés there are). In the meantime, I really wanted to begin the dreaded tying up of loose ends... hence this chapter was born. Enjoy!

**Important Note:** As far as I know, Hojo's actual name is never given in the anime/manga, so I picked one for him. If he does have a name... well, we'll just pretend he doesn't.

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Chapter 24: Come Into My World

Having made the decision that their wedding would go ahead as planned, Kagome did her best to leave the worry about Naraku to Inuyasha and jumped in with both feet. Her mother was slipping away further with every day that passed; the medication didn't seem to be doing very much for her, and she didn't need the doctors to know that it wouldn't be long before she would have to plan a funeral, not a wedding. With that thought in mind, she made it clear to her pack that the ceremony and reception would have to be planned and implemented quickly, like within the next week. She didn't wanted Kimiko to pass away without having the chance to see the daughter she had worried about for so long get married. It was the one concession she could grant her mother, and she wanted it to happen no matter what it cost.

Unfortunately, planning a wedding was a lot harder than she could have imagined. Fortunately, however, Rin took to the planning like she had born for it. As soon as she found out that Kagome preferred a more Western style wedding and that Inuyasha didn't really care, she and Ayame began planning in earnest. In a matter of days, the two of them had managed to make use of their extensive list of contacts, so that everyone from the florist to a baker to a decorator was on board for the day in question. No cost was too much for Kagome to have the wedding that she wanted. Rin and Sesshoumaru were more than happy to fund the whole thing.

Things were moving along quickly, and although Kagome was happy about that, she couldn't help dreading the wedding at the same time. She knew that her mother was holding on just for that, and it probably wouldn't be long after before Kimiko would die. Inuyasha had already gotten into contact with some people that he knew who could help run the shrine until Kagome and Souta were older. Souta had mentioned to her that a couple had come by to help out already. He seemed to like the people that he'd met, but Kagome could tell that it was still hard on him. At least she had the distraction of the wedding and her mate-to-be, but her poor little brother was stuck at the shrine day after day, unable to do anything but watch his mother die.

If she could have, she would have liked to have moved Kimiko, Souta, and Jii-chan to Sesshoumaru's mansion so that she could spend more time with them. But Kimiko absolutely refused to leave the Higurashi Shrine. It was the last place she had been with her husband, and she wanted to die where his memory was strongest. Souta wouldn't leave his mother, and it was out of the question for Jii-chan; he would have refused even if Kagome had gotten up the nerve to ask. The end result was that Kagome spent a good portion of her time skipping school in lieu of spending time at the shrine, often with Inuyasha and Shippou at her side. Kimiko seemed to take endless delight in her "grandson" and Shippou, for his part, adored his grandmother.

The school might have had an issue with the amount of time she missed... but Sesshoumaru managed to shut them up pretty easily. Kouga and Ayame continued to work there just in case Kagome chose to return, and both of them reported that most of the students and teachers had convinced themselves that there was a logical explanation for what they'd seen. Those that hadn't were either paid off or threatened for their silence. Kagome had contacted her four friends and, after issuing them an invitation to the wedding, promised to explain everything in detail as soon as she could. But after that, she began putting the meeting off, mostly because she didn't know _how_ to explain everything she had been through.

Still, she couldn't delay talking to them forever, and one morning, not long before the wedding was scheduled to occur, she went outside to the pool, sat down with a pen and a notepad, and tried to think seriously about what she wanted to tell her friends. She didn't think it was necessary for them to have the whole story. It would be easier and less confusing if she omitted the details about the past and made it sound like she had met Inuyasha in the present. The well may have been sealed, but she didn't want to chance anyone finding out about the powers it had once contained in combination with the shikon no tama. That was just asking for disaster.

Balancing the notepad on her knees, she tapped the pencil against her chin thoughtfully, and then wrote out a few details. Seconds later, she made a face and crossed them out. It went on like that until she'd covered a solid three pages with crossed out scribbles. Nothing sounded like an explanation that her friends were going to believe or accept. How was she supposed to explain something that sounded like a fairy tale? Hell, she had _lived_ through it and sometimes she still had difficulty accepting everything that had happened! How were normal humans supposed to do that?

Light laughter behind her distracted Kagome from her thoughts. She twisted without thinking, and then winced, nearly doubling over at the hot flash of pain that seared her waist and back. Her wound was nearly healed, but sometimes when she forgot herself, it could hurt just as much as it had when she'd first received it. The comforting scent of honey and strawberries drifted closer, and then Rin laid a gentle hand on Kagome's shoulder, giving her a silent squeeze of support. Looking up, Kagome offered the older woman a weak smile that Rin returned as she sat down on the chair across from Kagome after placing the platter that she had been carrying on the nearby stand.

"Here, you forgot your medication," she said, picking up two, small white pills and handing them to Kagome. The miko made a face but swallowed them with some help from the bright red drink that Rin handed to her. She disliked taking pain medication because it had the tendency to make her feel a little loopy and tired, but there were some days when she couldn't manage without it, and Inuyasha was a real pain when he discovered that she hadn't taken it. Rin flashed her a knowing smile that said the older woman knew exactly what she was thinking, but she had the good grace to not mention it. Instead, she simply reached over and took the notepad out of Kagome's hands. She scanned it silently, her eyebrows slowly rising, and then shot Kagome a look of surprise.

"What?" Kagome said defensively, a little embarrassed. "I can't figure out what to say to my friends when I see them again. I invited them to the wedding because I wanted them to be there... but now I'm thinking I should just send un-invite them or something like that and pretend that Kagome Higurashi has died so I never have to talk to them."

"Here I thought you were working on your wedding vows to Inuyasha," Rin teased. Kagome flushed, and the woman grinned as she handed the notepad back and added, "You can't do that, anyway. First of all, un-invite isn't a word, and if it was, you still wouldn't be able to do that because it's rude. Secondly, there are your friends, Kagome-onee-san. If anyone would be able to understand, or at least willing to listen to you, I would think it would be them. They've already been exposed to some weird things just by being around you... I bet when you tell them, a lot of things will suddenly make sense."

Kagome concealed a wince, not wanting to explain that that was exactly what she was afraid of. She had worked tirelessly for years to keep her life in the past and present completely separate, and sometimes that had been easier said than done. It had never occurred to her to wonder what she would do when she had to mesh those two lives together, because some part of her had always believed that she would remain on the other side of the well after the shikon no tama was completed. How was she supposed to bring the two together? What if her friends freaked out when she told them the truth? What if they were disgusted by her and what she had become?

"Hey!" A hand landed on her shoulder, breaking Kagome out of her thoughts. Rin was leaning over her, looking worried. "You totally spaced out on me there. I was getting worried. Are you alright?"

"No!" she moaned, leaning backwards and covering her face. "What if they hate me, Rin-chan? I... I didn't tell them very good things about Inuyasha. For a long time, I told them that he didn't treat me very well. That means something totally different in this century than it did in the past, and sometimes I don't think they ever really got over that impression of him. It's not just me I'm worried about. It's Inuyasha, and Shippou, and everyone. I would rather drop my friends entirely than risk having someone get hurt over this."

Rin's serious expression softened. "Kagome-onee-san, don't worry so much, okay? Tell them truth and be as honest as you can. It's okay to omit some stuff, but they were your friends for a reason. Knowing you, I have to believe that you would only choose to allow good people into your life. Think about the times you've shared with them. I know that the past prevented you from being as close as you were before, but weren't they always concerned for you?"

She thought back to the fight, and how worried Yuka and Hojo had been. "I guess."

"I'm sure once you explain that you and Inuyasha got over your differences, they'll understand. Just by looking at the two of you, anyone could get that you guys are in love," Rin added, smiling. "Stop stressing about it and just be natural. In fact, stop trying to plan out the meeting. You'll know what to say when you see them."

"How do you know that for sure?" Kagome challenged.

"I don't," said Rin with a shrug. "But you'd better hope I'm right, because I invited your friends to come over today."

"You _what_?" The miko bolted upright and then doubled over with a yelp. That gave Rin the chance to jump to her feet, snatch the notepad, and take off towards the house. Before Kagome could get up and chase after her, she spotted Yuka, Hojo, Ayumi, and Eri walking towards her, escorted by Seiko. Swearing under her breath, Kagome made a grab for the concealment charm and slipped it over her head just moments before her friends would have spotted her. Her one saving grace was that her friends hadn't seen her without the charm yet. Seiko grinned at her, waved, and retreated before Kagome could stop her.

"Kagome-chan!" Yuka caught sight of her first and rushed forward, looking worried. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kagome said wearily, reclining back against the chair. Her stomach hurt too much to even think about getting up to hug her friends in welcome, and she knew that it would be a couple of minutes yet until the painkillers kicked in. Yuka hovered for a moment, hesitating, and then finally sat down on the edge of the lawn chair that Rin had vacated. Ayumi and Eri joined her on the chair, and Hojo chose to stand behind them.

"We were worried about you," Eri said, openly examining Kagome. "But you look like you're doing really well. When you acted like you didn't want to see us, I thought maybe you were more wounded than we realized."

That was Eri - always ready with a remark that struck straight to the heart of things. Kagome winced. "Look, I'm sorry that I've been putting you off. I just... I didn't really know how to explain things to you guys. It wasn't because I'm dying or anything like that. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Apology accepted," Eri replied, but her voice still sounded a bit cool. She'd always been famous for holding grudges, and it would probably be some time before she really forgave Kagome.

"Now, what's this about you getting married?" Yuka burst out, leaning forward with a gleam in her dark eyes. It was clear that she had been dying to ask ever since she'd spotted Kagome, but Eri had likely told her to wait until she got her two cents in. Typical. "Kagome-chan, is it true?"

Kagome began to blush against her will, and all three girls gasped. "It_ is_ true," Ayumi breathed, her hand over her mouth. "I can't believe it. I thought for sure that it was a mistake even after I got the invitation in the mail. You're really getting married?"

"Yes." She stared down at her hands.

"To that violent boyfriend of yours?" Eri asked disapprovingly.

"He's not..." Kagome began, and then rolled her eyes. "Oh, hell. Look, I gave you the wrong impression when it comes to Inuyasha. I shouldn't have said the kinds of things that I did. He doesn't treat me wrong. He's not cruel or mean or... or abusive, the way you guys seem to think. Inuyasha loves me, and I love him. I've wanted to be with him since the moment that we met."

"But... Kagome-chan... What about all those bruises and scrapes you used to come to school with?" Yuka whispered, casting a nervous glance towards the house, like she expected Inuyasha to come bounding out to kill her. "He doesn't still...?"

"Still..." Blankly, Kagome blinked. When the implication of Yuka's statement hit her, she stared, open-mouthed, for several seconds before her brain kicked into gear. "Are you_ crazy_? Inuyasha never hit me! That was because we were doing dangerous things. He was protecting me. If it weren't for him, I would have died a long time ago."

Her words were met with four sceptical looks and Kagome sighed, knowing that her worst fears had been realized. When she was younger, and so frustrated with Inuyasha that she could have gleefully sat him into the ground every two minutes without feeling the slightest bit of guilt, she'd used her time in the present to rant about him to anyone that would listen. In the process, she'd apparently given her friends the impression that not only was Inuyasha a violent and crude loudmouth that insulted her on a regular basis, but that he was also the type to strike out at her. None of that could be further from the truth, and she felt immensely guilty that she'd never bothered to set them straight. Inuyasha had always done his best to protect her, and he'd never willingly struck out at her. Now there was no question that she would have to tell them some of the truth, if only to clear Inuyasha's name.

"Look, I need you to tell you some things," she said carefully. "It might be hard to understand, but for the sake of our friendship, I'm asking you to listen to me. Can you do that?"

"Higurashi, we will listen for as long as you need us to," said Hojo, speaking for the first time since they had joined her. His eyes regarded her silently, not judging or condemning, but waiting. She flashed him a grateful smile. He was a soothing force in the gale that was Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka, and she was relieved he had chosen to come.

"Alright, the first thing you need to know is that we're not alone in the world," she said. Four blank looks were her reward, and she swallowed a laugh. "I'm not trying to sound like I'm saying alien exists or anything like that... though at this point I'd believe anything," she muttered to herself. "There are certain creatures out there called youkai, and they're basically a cross between a human and an animal. They've existed for thousands of years, but they've just been hidden until now because humans aren't ready to accept them." Thinking of Hayato, her expression darkened. "Sometimes I don't think they'll ever be ready... Anyway, a couple of years ago, I met this hanyou. A hanyou is basically a half-breed, half human and half youkai. He was searching for the shikon no tama, the jewel of four souls. You've probably heard my grandfather talking about it?"

"Oh, you mean that little keychain he's always trying to give me?" Ayumi asked with interest. She picked up her book bag and revealed the fake shikon no tama that swung from the zipper. "I have a zillion of them at home."

"Yes, but it's actually real," Kagome replied, hiding a smile. "My family is charged with protecting it. The shikon no tama can grant any wish that you ask of it, so lots of people are trying to get their hands on it. Well, when I met that hanyou, I accidentally sort of... um..." Her face was growing red. "I split the shikon no tama into hundreds of little shards," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to. It just of happened. And ever since, we've been fighting over the shards with someone else who wants to collect them and use the shikon no tama for an evil purpose."

Eri was staring at her. "No offence, Kagome-chan, but just what kind of pills do they have you on?"

"It's the truth," Kagome insisted. "I know it sounds crazy. I had trouble believing it myself. But I'm being honest with you. I can prove it to you." She touched the necklace around her throat nervously. There would be no going back if she chose to take it off.

"Let's see, then," said Yuka challengingly. Amusement and disbelief danced in her eyes. "Where's your proof?"

"Right here." Trying to act nonchalant about the whole thing, Kagome pulled the necklace off and felt the sensation of the concealment charm fade away. Her friends gasped, and all four of them stared at the sight of her hanyou ears. Kagome gave them a hesitant smile as every inch of her body was examined in close detail. "I haven't always been this way. That person that we were fighting against threatened Inuyasha's life. He was going to die, but I chose to share my blood with him."

"Inuyasha is that hanyou?" Eri put things together swiftly. Cautiously, she reached out and touched one of Kagome's ears. She jerked her hand away when the puppy ear twitched beneath her fingers, looking shocked. "Oh my god... they're_ real_!"

She couldn't help it that time. Kagome laughed, unable to hide her relief that her friends hadn't run away screaming. "Yes, they're real," she agreed, amusement shining in her gold-flecked eyes. "I told you. I'm telling you the truth this time. That person who attacked our school is the one that we've been fighting against for the past few years. He was getting desperate, and he wanted my shards of the shikon no tama. I was able to distract him until Inuyasha and the rest of our friends came."

"So all those times you came to school with those kinds of wounds? And all those school days that you missed? The strange illnesses that your grandfather used to come up with?" Yuka asked. "You were... fighting?"

"That's right," Kagome said, nodding. "I'm sorry I was never able to tell you before. I wanted to, but I didn't want to drag you into the middle of the battles. And... also..." She took a deep breath, forcing the words out. "I was worried about how you would react. You have to understand, you can't tell_ anyone_ what I just told you. This has to remain a secret between the five of us."

Her three girl friends nodded, but Hojo was frowning. Abruptly, he turned and walked away, stopping only when he was a good ten feet from them. Yuka frowned and started to get up to see what was wrong, but Kagome reached out and stopped her with a shake of her head. Wincing just a little, she carefully got to her feet and headed over to Hojo herself. She had the feeling that she knew what was wrong. It had to be hard, learning that the girl he'd had such a long crush on was hiding so much, and it was her responsibility to smooth things over if she could. Even if it meant facing the possibility that Hojo might hate her forever.

"Hojo-kun?" she said quietly, pausing beside him.

He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Higurashi, I just..."

"I know," she cut him off before he could say anything else. Stepping forward, she smoothly swung around so that she could look up into his face. He had his head down, and was frowning intently at the ground. "Hojo-kun, I'm sorry I never told you the truth. I feel like I was stringing you along all that time by making you think that you had a chance with me. I... I've loved Inuyasha for a long time." A blush rose in her cheeks, but she pressed on. "I thought that I had lost Inuyasha for a little while a month ago. That's why I told you not to ask me out anymore. I knew then that I would never be able to move on, and I had to let you know. I just wish that I had told you sooner."

"It's not that, though I thank you for your apology," he replied. "I just feel foolish for bringing you all of those gifts over the years when you weren't really in need of them."

"Don't!" Kagome exclaimed. "I was very touched that you were trying to make me feel better. I appreciated every gift you gave to me, no matter how silly it was." She couldn't help smiling at the memory of a few of those "gifts". "My grandfather used a lot of them. He's very fond of you."

Hojo laughed, and Kagome beamed up at him. "I guess when I look at it that way, it doesn't sound quite so bad," he admitted with a rueful smile. "I should have guessed that you were in love with someone else. The few dates that we went, you usually disappeared from them. I suppose I should have given up sooner."

"Oh, well... I appreciated that you didn't," she said. "You were good to me, Hojo-kun. Sometimes I think I needed that more than you could possibly imagine. I just... I was too young to know how to tell you that I wasn't interested in you that way. For a long time, Inuyasha was torn between me and someone else... and I liked the feeling of knowing that I could always come back to you if he decided not to choose me. But that was wrong, and I apologize. You deserve to be with someone who puts you first in their heart, whether that person is Yuka-chan or someone else. I want you to be happy."

Though he was smiling, a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. "I am... very happy with Yuka," he admitted shyly. "I'm thinking of asking her to be my girlfriend."

"Really?" Kagome's eyes lit up. She'd thought for a long time that Yuka and Hojo would be perfect together. Yuka's spunky, confident personality would be enough to draw Hojo out of his shell, and Hojo's calming influence would be a way to keep Yuka's feet on the ground. "I think that's a great idea. You can bring her to my wedding as your date."

"You're really getting married?" he asked, just to be sure. "Inuyasha chose you?"

"He did," she confirmed, fairly glowing with happiness. "I love him a lot and I know that he loves me just as much. I'll introduce you to him then. I'm really glad that you're going to be able to come." Quickly, she stepped forward and hugged him briefly. He wrapped his arms around her in return for just a moment before letting go. Kagome looked up at him and smiled, hiding the brief flash of sadness that had gone through her. She and Hojo could have been good together, she knew. But fate had thrown Inuyasha into her life, and that had been enough to insure that she and Hojo would never be. "Thank you for everything, Hojo-kun. I hope that you and I can continue to be good friends. I'd like it if you would call me Kagome."

"Kagome-san," he said with a shy nod. "Please call me Akitoki."

"That's your first name?" Kagome raised an eyebrow and felt her mouth twitching, remembering the ancestor of Hojo's that she had met in the past.

"I was named after an ancestor," he explained, confirming her suspicions. "Thank you for trusting us with this information, Kagome-san. I know it couldn't have been easy for you, and I am honoured that you would take us into your confidence."

"Thank you for listening," she replied honestly. "And for not freaking out when I took my concealment charm off." She twitched an ear and winked.

"I think you look very cute this way," he said gravely, eyes twinkling. "It suits you."

"Hojo-kun, we have to go," Eri called before Kagome could answer. "We're going to be late for school!"

"I guess we have to leave. We only came to visit you during lunch," he said apologetically as the three girls approached. Yuka pressed herself against his side, looking satisfied when he slipped an arm around her waist and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder. "Will you be back to school before your wedding?"

"Probably not." She didn't ever want to go back after what had happened, but she hadn't brought the subject up with Inuyasha, who was still reluctant to let her out of his sight anyway. "I'll walk you guys to the door, okay?"

"Are you sure you feel well enough to?" Ayumi asked, looking worried. She was leaning heavily against Eri, who supported her friend's weight easily.

"It wasn't really that bad," she lied, beginning the short walk back towards the mansion. In reality, the blow would have definitely killed a human, but she suspected that her friends were unaware of that. With what little she had told them, they probably didn't know just how serious the differences between a youkai and a human were. Good. She had every intention of keeping it that way. It was one thing to give them a little opening into her life, but she didn't want them becoming involved any more than they absolutely had to. Naraku was the kind of person who would take advantage of that in a heartbeat, and her friends couldn't defend themselves.

Kagome saw the four of them out with a hug to each, and watched from the door as they headed down the long driveway. Her ears twitched, alerting her to the presence behind her seconds before a familiar scent met her nose. She sighed and leaned back against Inuyasha's familiar body as his arms came up to wrap loosely around her waist, ever mindful of her wound, which no longer hurt as badly now that the pills had finally kicked in. Once her friends were no longer in sight, she gently pushed the door closed, but made no move to get out of his warm embrace.

"Was it as terrible as you thought it'd be?" His breath washed over the back of her neck as he spoke, and she shivered pleasantly. "Rin asked me if I thought you'd mind."

"Conspiring against me, hmm?" Kagome twisted so that she could lean her head against his shoulder and close her eyes. The pills also had the annoying tendency to make her sleepy, and she could feel it washing over her in waves. Inuyasha chuckled and gently scooped her up with an arm under her knees, holding her firmly. She just smiled in response and cuddled closer, totally willing to let him take her wherever he wanted. There was no where that she wouldn't go as long as Inuyasha was at her side.

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Please review!


	25. Prophetic Dreams

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews. I know everyone expected the wedding to happen next, and I thought about it, but I decided to mix things up a little. I wanted to avoid that clichéd "bad guy bursts in on the wedding" scenario and be a little more original. I know this story is in the winding down stage, and I estimate there are probably another four to five chapters to go, possibly less depending on how the final battle works out. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone. Please enjoy!

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Chapter 25: Prophetic Dreams

Two days before the wedding, Kagome woke up from a restless night's sleep and knew instantly where Naraku was. She laid in bed for a few minutes, her mind spinning over the new information that had come to her during a dream. _How _did she know, though, that it was real? For the past week or so, she'd had difficulty sleeping. Her dreams were vague and misty, comprised of images that she generally forgot as soon as she woke up. The one thing she usually remembered was the sight of the shikon no tama, perfectly whole, and a stunning warrior who bore a strong resemblance to Kikyou and Kagome before she had become a hanyou. And now... sitting up, she touched her forehead lightly, knowing that the address was burned so deeply into her mind that she could never forget.

"How...?" she muttered to herself, shoving the blankets back. Shippou twitched and whined at the loss of warmth, burrowing more deeply into the warm indentation left by her body. Kagome spared a moment to give him a reassuring pat on the head before she left the room at a run, heading for Sesshoumaru's office.

Sesshoumaru and Kouga had been scouring Japan, searching for any trace of the dreaded hanyou. All of them were eager to see the war come to an end once and for all, but if there was anything that Naraku had ever excelled at, it was hiding in plain sight. Nothing had come of their search so far, until now. Kagome smiled vindictively as she took the stairs two at a time, launching herself upward with glee. Now that she and Inuyasha had been reunited, there would be nothing stopping them from finishing the war once and for all. If they could actually fight Naraku... and make sure that the hanyou couldn't run away or slip a puppet in to take his place... she was fairly confident that the two of them would be able to win. Their combined power would be strong enough to take Naraku down once and for all. It was a strangely satisfying thought, and she smirked as she pushed the door to the office open.

"I know where he is!" she announced. In the next second, she stopped, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment as she realized that Sesshoumaru was having a meeting of some kind. A couple of youkai she didn't recognize - cat youkai, a distant part of her brain noted - turned to look at her, while Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, a look that might have been amusement dancing in his golden eyes. Kagome shifted and took a half-step back, suddenly conscious of the fact that she was wearing little more than a pair of pyjama bottoms and a sheer tank top that showed her bra in certain lights.

"What was that?" Sesshoumaru inquired. That in itself was an indication as to how much he had softened up to her presence. Five hundred years ago, he would've been enraged that she had dared to interrupt his meeting.

"I know where _he_ is," she repeated, putting special emphasis on the "he". She flashed Sesshoumaru a significant look and was pleased when he caught on. There was no change in his expression, but she could tell by the way he turned to the cat youkai and dismissed them immediately.

"We will have to postpone our meeting," he said coldly, his tone allowing no argument. "I am afraid this Sesshoumaru has forgotten a previous engagement."

"But - " One of the youkai began to protest, but the comment died on his lips when Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed a fraction in warning. He quailed, shoulders slumping under the ferocity of the glare. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us, however briefly. We will reschedule at a later time, perhaps."

Kagome stood aside as the two cat youkai rose to their feet and headed out of the office. She didn't miss the dark looks that they cast in her direction, but she was willing to ignore them in light of her news. As soon as the door closed, she threw herself into the chair in front of Sesshoumaru's desk and leaned forward. "I know where Naraku is," she whispered, keeping her voice low enough so that their excellent hearing wouldn't afford the departing youkai the chance to eavesdrop. "I had a dream last night... I think that someone told me where he was."

"Someone?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.

"I know it sounds strange. I don't remember most of what I dreamt," she admitted. "But I'm absolutely sure about this." She closed her eyes and instantly recalled that warrior. Strong, brave, and utterly confident in what she had to do. Kagome had the feeling that she knew who that warrior was. "She wants us to end this. She's tired."

"Give me the address," Sesshoumaru ordered, sliding a piece of paper across the desk. Golden eyes watched her carefully, but he gave no indication of the fact that he likely thought she was mad. "I will send someone to investigate and see whether or not your dreams are based in reality. There is no sense in attacking before this Sesshoumaru is fully aware of the situation."

Somewhat deflated, she obediently took the pen and scribbled the address across the piece of paper. Sesshoumaru took it and picked up the phone. Sensing that she'd been dismissed, Kagome stood up and wandered out of the room. She knew it was silly to expect that he would have immediately leapt into action, and really, what Sesshoumaru was doing was intelligent. Her dreams had never really been prophetic before, so it was silly to assume that they would be now. Except... she was so _sure_. The knowledge blazed through her mind, refusing to be hidden or forgotten, and she was frustrated to think that she would have to sit on top of it for even a few hours while Naraku was doing god only knew what.

Unconsciously, she gripped the shards of the shikon no tama around her throat, remembering the blazing jewel from her dream. It had been so beautiful, so round and perfect, just like it had been before she'd foolishly shattered it across the land. Her eyes fell closed again and she sighed. "Midoriko-sama... If there's anything else you can tell me, now is the time," she muttered.

Minutes ticked by and nothing happened. Feeling foolish, she dropped the shards and kept walking, heading down to the dining room. As she got closer, she could hear the sounds of her pack having breakfast, and it restored a small smile to her lips. With a spring in her step, she pushed the doors open and entered, casting a quick look around. Sesshoumaru and Rin usually sat at either end, and of course, although Rin was present, Sesshoumaru's seat was empty. Inuyasha sat at Sesshoumaru's left, with a seat for Kagome and Shippou beside him. Matsu and Seiko were on the other side. Kouga and Ayame, when they chose to join them for a meal, sat across from each other beside Rin. Chairs were added or taken away from the table between Seiko and Ayame, and Kouga and Shippou, based on whether other children wanted to join them.

"Good morning, Kagome-chan," Seiko said, glancing up. She flashed her sister a smile. "Are you feeling well today?"

"Much better than I have in a long time," Kagome replied, holding her arms out for Shippou. Sure enough, the kitsune bounded into her arms with a happy yelp, receiving her good morning kiss with sticky fingers. Chuckling, she carried him back over to the table, kissed Inuyasha, and then grabbed a damp cloth to wipe his hands off. Shippou pouted but conceded to the cleaning with a mischievous grin. "I had a strange dream last night about the shikon no tama and Midoriko-sama."

Seiko looked curious as she scooped a bit of rice onto her chopsticks. "You did?" she asked. Gradually, the other conversation in the room died as everyone turned to listen. Kagome nodded as she placed Shippou back on his chair, letting him attack his chocolate chip pancakes with nothing more than an indulgent smile and an amused shake of her head.

"Yeah. I can't really remember what it was about," she answered, tucking her hair behind her ears. Her stomach rumbled hungrily as she began spooning food onto her plate. "But when I woke up, I knew where Naraku was. I can't tell you how I know, but I do. I already told Sesshoumaru. He's going to have someone go check it out so that we know whether or not it's real. If it is..." She let her sentence trail off, trusting that they could fill in the blanks, and dusted her eggs with pepper before she took a bite.

"Do you think it's true? You've never had a dream like that before," said Inuyasha, watching her with concern in his eyes. He didn't know if he liked the idea of Kagome dreaming about the jewel.

"I think it is. Something just tells me that it is," Kagome told him. "I can't explain it anymore, but maybe Midoriko-sama is trying to give me a message. I don't know." She paused to take a sip of her milk. Her throat felt dry, and the cool liquid helped. "When I was talking to Sesshoumaru, I just got this feeling... I think she's tired. She wants this to end."

Matsu leaned his head against his fist, thinking this over. "That would make sense in some ways. We've already learned the legend behind the shikon no tama, about how Midoriko-sama is locked in an endless battle with thousands of youkai. Even if she is unaware of time passing, her spirit must be growing tired after all of these centuries. Perhaps she senses something in you, Kagome-chan, that has led her to believe that you could seal the shikon no tama away for good."

Kagome blushed a little, the pink color rising in her cheeks. "I don't know why," she mumbled self-consciously, dropping her fork to grip the shards again. "Not even Kikyou could..."

"She never got the chance," Inuyasha pointed out. For once, there was no guilt in his eyes when he spoke of Kikyou. Just a fondness that didn't bother Kagome in the least, particularly when he reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "If anyone could do it, it's you, Kagome."

"Inuyasha..." She stared back at him. "I don't know how to seal the shikon no tama, though. It's said that the jewel will disappear after a wish is made on it, but..." Kagome screwed up her face, unable to contain a shudder at the thought of actually making a wish on the shikon no tama. The jewel had done nothing but cause them endless trouble, and she'd seen so many youkai, hanyou, and humans driven to rage and despair because of it. Who was to say that any wish on the shikon no tama would turn out properly? What could she wish for that would be truly unselfish?

"You could give it to someone else to wish on," Kouga suggested. "No one said that it had to be you."

"That's true..." she said slowly, looking down at the shards. Her dream tugged at her mind and Midoriko's face flashed before her eyes. No, Kouga was wrong. It had to be Kagome. "But I'm the miko, guardian of the jewel. It's my responsibility now that Kikyou is really dead. If anyone makes a wish, I guess it should be me."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," said Rin with a comforting smile. "Maybe if you wish for something small or insignificant, the repercussions won't be too horrible."

Kagome pondered that during the rest of the meal as the conversation continued around her. She ate absently and sparingly, no longer tasting the food. For so long, they had been so caught up in trying to collect the shards that she had forced herself to stop thinking about what would happen once the shikon no tama was whole again. Inuyasha no longer expressed an interest in becoming a full youkai, so the jewel really was hers to do as she pleased. Rin's suggestion had a certain amount of appeal, but then again, would something small and insignificant satisfy the jewel? The shikon no tama had been the center of their collective worlds for so long, and it didn't seem right when she thought about wishing for something that didn't really matter. Yet she was afraid to wish for something that did.

A heavy arm draped around her shoulders, drawing her against a warm side and pulling her out of her troublesome thoughts and back to reality. Glancing up, she saw that the dining room was empty of everyone except for her and Inuyasha. She'd been so preoccupied with the thought of the shikon no tama and wishes that she hadn't even noticed her friends leaving. Guiltily, she turned to Inuyasha with a sheepish smile, only to stop when she saw the warmth in his amber eyes. He chuckled and leaned forward, gently bumping their foreheads together, before he kissed her.

"Silly," he chided affectionately. "Stop worrying, Kagome. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

"You say that. I hope you're right," Kagome said, pushing away her plate. The food had gone cold while she was wrapped up in thinking, and she didn't feel hungry anymore. Inuyasha frowned at her actions but said nothing. "I just... can't help but worry. I'm tired of fighting Naraku, too. I want all of us to be free of him. We're happier now than we've ever been, and it frightens me to think that he could destroy that so easily." Against her will, she remembered her first view of Hayato and how she'd mistaken him for Kohaku, and she shuddered at the thought. Nothing would be more devastating to Seiko than that.

This time, Inuyasha pulled her out of her chair and into his lap. "Kagome, stop, please. You can't keep thinking that way, or you're allowing Naraku to win before he's even attempted anything. You forget that we're also stronger now that we're all working together. That wouldn't have happened without you." He leaned his nose against the back of her neck, breathing in her scent. "This war has gone on for over five hundred years. With your presence, it will end."

He sounded so sure of himself that Kagome found herself relaxing. She leaned against him and cuddled her head into his shoulder. "Are you happy here, Inuyasha?" she whispered.

"As long as you're with me, I could be happy anywhere," the hanyou replied. There was a hint of a blush on his cheeks, but his voice was steady with honesty. He hadn't liked the present world much when he'd first been exposed to it, but over the years, he'd grown accustomed to it. The concealment charm helped to shield his senses, and Sesshoumaru's mansion had a barrier around it that kept much of the noise and pollution out, so even when he was in his natural form, he didn't suffer too much. Kagome's presence had just been the whipped cream on top of it all, and he couldn't remember a time when he'd been more content. "Come on. I want to take you somewhere special."

Gold-flecked eyes widened with interest. "Somewhere special?" she echoed, surprised and touched. "Where?"

Inuyasha smirked. "If I told you, it wouldn't a surprise," he said lightly, easily rising to his feet. Kagome yelped and clutched at his shoulders as the warm lap beneath her bottom suddenly disappeared. The man just snickered and gently placed her on her feet before he took a step back, just missing the swat she'd aimed at his upper chest. "Go get dressed and meet me downstairs in twenty minutes."

"Jerk," Kagome muttered, unable to keep the tiny smile from forming on her lips as she ran from the room. She knew that Inuyasha was just trying to distract her so that she wouldn't spend her time worrying about Naraku, and she appreciated it. Her heart already felt lighter as she hurried up the stairs and down the hall to the bedroom she shared with Shippou. Her son was nowhere in sight, but she was pretty sure she remembered hearing that Seiko was planning to take him, Yukio, and Souta somewhere. That was fine with Kagome. It was easier to take a super quick shower and get dressed when Shippou wasn't around asking her twenty questions and trying to coax her into returning to bed for a few more minutes.

She hadn't been told what to wear, so she went for casual. Dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a green tank top with a white cardigan over it, she brushed her hair until it shone and then walked out of the room. Inuyasha was already waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. He'd put his concealment charm around his neck, but she could still feel the familiar pulse of Tetsusaiga as she came down the stairs. He was also holding her bow and arrows, and she gave him a small smile of thanks as she slipped her weapons on and then placed the pearl necklace around her throat. It had been relatively easy to fiddle with the charm on the necklaces to extend to weapons.

"Ready?" he asked, glancing at her. Kagome smiled back and nodded. It was still a bit of a shock to see Inuyasha with dark hair and eyes in the daylight, but she was getting used to it. His human look suited him just as well as his hanyou appearance did, though she would always miss the silver hair and amber eyes when they weren't visible.

Following Inuyasha outside, she was surprised when he led her down to one of Sesshoumaru's smaller cars. The chauffer gave her a crisp nod in greeting and held the door open for the two of them. As Kagome climbed in, she couldn't help giggling a little. "I never thought I'd see the day when you would willingly get into a car," she kidded, remembering the first time Inuyasha had ever seen one of the vehicles. He'd nearly cleaved it in two, claiming it to be some sort of youkai, and only her own quick intervention had prevented him from destroying the car.

He cast her a fond, if exasperated, look as he shut the door and slid across the seat to her. "I had no idea what a car was," he said, clearly realizing exactly what she was remembering. "You're fortunate I adapted to this century as quickly as I did. I should've taken the chance to cause more trouble when I had a good excuse."

"Like you didn't already?" she replied, recalling the times when he'd shown up outside of her school. Most of her teachers had thought she was certifiably insane. "I think you caused me more than your fair share of trouble."

"That's what you think." He smirked and reached into the pocket of his jeans. "But speaking of trouble, it seems to be finding you now more than ever. Fortunately, there's a much easier way to keep track of you than there ever was in the past." Inuyasha pulled something small and sleek out and handed it to her. Kagome realized with no small amount of shock that she was holding a cell phone. "Rin told me that has a special tracking feature on it that will allow us to find you if something ever goes wrong." His tone of voice indicated that he believed that scenario to be a very likely one.

Kagome stuck her tongue out as she snapped the phone open, looking down at the little screen with glee as the phone came to life with a dull chime. Her family had never been able to afford the monthly costs associated with a cell phone, and really, they'd never been necessary considering Kimiko and Jii-chan rarely left the shrine grounds and Souta had always been too young. A cell phone would have been useless for Kagome when she was spending most of her time in the past. She'd always noticed and been a little envious of the ones that her classmates carried, especially after most of them had dismissed her as the weird girl who had little interest in keeping up with technology. Now, she was glad to have one, and she was happy to see that the contact list in the phone was already programmed with everyone's numbers... including one for Inuyasha.

The hanyou grinned at her surprise look and held up another cell phone, similar in make and design. "Rin insisted that I get one while she was picking up yours," he remarked with a certain amount of resignation. Growing up with Sesshoumaru had taught Rin the best ways to get what she wanted no matter who she was facing. Few people ever said no to her, and not just because it meant that a fierce taiyoukai would be there to demand to know why they dared say no to his mate.

"I think it's an excellent idea," Kagome said, flipping the phone closed. "Cell phones are one of the best things about this century. They would have helped a lot in the past." A wry smile teased her lips. "Now we just have to make sure that Naraku doesn't lead us into an area where there is no signal, and we're good."

"If your dream turns out to be true, I doubt that will be an issue," Inuyasha replied. A frown crossed his face just for a moment as he studied the beautiful girl across from him. She seemed so casual when talking about the dream, but he could tell that it was bothering her that Midoriko had reached out and contacted her. How could it not? He didn't like the thought of it, either, but if it helped them to defeat Naraku... Kagome failed to notice his pensive state, brief as it was, and by the time she looked up again, his face had smoothed out into a warm, affectionate smile that made her blush.

"Are we almost there?" she asked, sounding almost shy. It was moments like these when she became aware of just how much Inuyasha had changed. There was a time when she could have sold her soul and she still wouldn't have been able to see him smile like that. The constant pain and self-loathing that had always been present in the back of his eyes had lessened so much. With time, she hoped that those emotions would disappear entirely.

"Just about." As he spoke, the car glided to a stop. The driver opened the door for them. Inuyasha got out first and then reached in to help Kagome, who got out eagerly, ready to see the mysterious place that Inuyasha had seemed so excited about. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what she found. An empty meadow, filled with grass, flowers, and... her nose twitched, bringing her the scents of rabbit and deer. It was completely unfamiliar to her, but Inuyasha was watching her with an expectant expression. Her mind raced, struggling to figure out where they were and why. Finally, she had to concede defeat.

"Um... Inuyasha... where are we?"

"I thought you would want to see the place where our house will be," Inuyasha said.

Kagome stopped. Her breath caught in her throat as she turned to look at him slowly with a disbelieving expression. Their house? "Our house?" she echoed out loud, glancing back what she now realized had to be a plot of land. They were on the outskirts of the city, but not so far away that they were truly out in the middle of nowhere. She guessed that it would be about a twenty-minute drive into the heart of the city. Just right. Excitement began to thrum through her veins, but she forced herself to remain calm. "You... you're serious about this?"

"Of course," Inuyasha said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "This land is actually owned by Kouga. It's going to be a wedding gift to us since Rin and Sesshoumaru are paying for everything." He rolled his eyes, clearly a little disgruntled by the idea of accepting the land as a gift from the wolf, even if he and Kouga had smoothed over many of their differences. "He and Ayame live about five minutes down the road, and it's not that long of a drive to the mansion. We hadn't planned to begin building until after the wedding, but I thought you might want to see it to make sure that you liked the location."

"Like it? I love it!" Kagome said enthusiastically, looking around with more interest. "But... it's so big. How can Kouga-kun and Ayame-chan afford to give this to us?" The plot was massive, probably larger than the one her school was sitting on, and she knew that it had to have cost an absolute fortune.

"Sesshoumaru's not the only one who has made money the years." Inuyasha was watching her closely, a pleased smile curving his lips. "You really like it, Kagome? I don't want you to just say that."

"I'm not. I really do," she told him earnestly. She could just imagine a large house, big enough for her, Inuyasha, and their pups, as well as Seiko and Matsu and their children. The thought made her beam and practically jump up and down with excitement. Even though a couple of people had mentioned it to her, she'd never really put any more thought into the idea of moving out of Sesshoumaru's mansion. It was a strangely appealing notion. "You definitely surprised me, but I love it. I can't wait to see our house start going up."

Inuyasha shot her a broad grin, but before he could say anything, his cell phone rang. He pulled out of his pocket and flipped it open, speaking into it quietly. Kagome raised an eyebrow and tried not to laugh at the sight of her hanyou using a modern cell phone as she turned away and took a few steps into the field. A crop of wildflowers was growing near the road, and she knelt to pick a few, remembering Rin's fascination with the blossoms when she was a child. She'd gathered quite a few of the fragrant flowers by the time Inuyasha called her name. When she twisted to look at him, the serious look on his face stopped her cold, and the blossoms fell from her suddenly numb hands when he spoke.

"Sesshoumaru's found him. You were right. We know where Naraku is. It's time."

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Please review!


	26. The Beginning of the End

**A/N:** Yeah, I know, I'm mean, as a lot of you pointed out. I guess I like cliffhangers too much. Call it a bad habit of mine. I think this story has about three chapters left, including the epilogue, maybe less. It depends on the whole final battle goes and whether I make the wedding an epilogue or the final chapter. But don't despair, cause Naraku's finally going to get what's coming to him, and that's just fun. Happy New Year and enjoy the last chapter of 2011, everyone.

Chapter 26: The Beginning of the End

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Even after Sesshoumaru discovered that Kagome's information about Naraku was right, things moved agonizingly slowly. Weapons were polished and sharpened, armour was donned, and back-up was called. Seiko called her parents, who arrived within the hour with dozens of highly trained taijiya in tow, and both Kouga and Sesshoumaru summoned numerous employees to help bring down the evil hanyou. Kagome was in the middle of it all as she pulled on an outfit that had been given to her by Rin just an hour or so beforehand. It consisted of sturdy black pants, a long-sleeved black shirt, fingerless black gloves, and light boots that wouldn't hinder her movement, all of which were made out of a material similar to that of Inuyasha's fire-rat robes. She tied her hair back with a black ribbon and glanced at herself in the mirror, realizing that she looked like a warrior.

"How creepy," she said under her breath, reaching for her bow and arrows and donning them. Much to her dismay, there had never been time for the kind of lessons from Inuyasha that would have been extremely helpful just about then, but she did have the daggers and wrist sheaths that she'd "borrowed" from Hayato. Kagome strapped them on and slid the daggers into place, pleased by the fact that the sleeves of the shirt were long enough to cover her additional weapons. Perhaps it would give her a bit of an edge.

"Mama, you will be careful, right? And you'll make Papa be careful as well?" Shippou asked fearfully. He was sitting on her bed, watching her get dressed with an anxious look in his beautiful blue eyes. Kagome had already made it clear that he would not be joining them; she couldn't fight and watch over Shippou at the same time. It was one of the few instances when he knew not to challenge her, but that didn't stop him from worrying. War had already taken one set of parents from him, and he didn't think he would be able to bear losing Kagome or Inuyasha.

"Shippou-chan..." Turning, Kagome walked over to the bed and picked her son up, cradling him in her arms. He clung to the front of her shirt, making a small sound that was not unlike a whimper. "Don't worry, baby. I promise that your father and I will do our best to come back to you," she told him, wishing that she could promise that she and Inuyasha would definitely come back. But she couldn't. This was a war with Naraku, and that meant anyone had the possibility of dying. Naraku would no doubt try to take down as many people as he could, and she had to face the fact that she and Inuyasha might be one of them. If she had to, Kagome knew that she would be willing to give up her life to stop Naraku for good, she suspected that her baby knew that.

Shippou just cried quietly, his face pushed up against her shirt. Kagome stroked his hair and made soothing noises, wishing desperately that he hadn't been caught up in the whole mess. He was really too young to face this kind of thing, but what other alternative was there? She sighed to herself and walked out the door, hoping that the sight of the others might help. Rin had agreed to stay behind to watch over the mansion and the children, and Kagome was grateful for that. She would be heavily guarded by numerous youkai and the taijiya who weren't coming with them. Since Rin was a human with little physical or spiritual training, there was nothing she could do in the fight against Naraku, and Naraku would no doubt use her against Sesshoumaru if he got the chance. It was much safer for her to remain behind, and although Rin understood that, it didn't mean she liked it.

The rooms of the first floor were full of youkai and humans alike, all of them eyeing each other distrustfully. Kagome ignored most of them and found her way to Inuyasha, who was standing beside the front door with Seiko and Matsu, clearly making sure that no one left before Sesshoumaru gave the word. Inuyasha sighed when he saw the state of Shippou and, much to Kagome's surprise, stepped forward to pluck the kit out of her grasp. He turned away and began speaking to the upset boy in a low tone that prevented Kagome from overhearing their conversation due to the noise in the room. Whatever he was saying seemed to help a lot, though, because Shippou's tears gradually slowed and he looked up at Inuyasha with nothing short of hero worship in his eyes before he grabbed the hanyou in a fierce hug.

"Aww," Seiko said under her breath, just loud enough for Kagome to hear. Kagome knew how she felt. After years of scolding Inuyasha for treating the kit poorly, it was nothing short of heart-warming to see the two of them sharing a tender moment. Unfortunately, Inuyasha must have heard her as well, because his cheeks darkened in a blush and he quickly released Shippou.

"Keh!" he huffed, thrusting the snickering kitsune back into his mother's arms. He stormed off and Kagome and Seiko broke into a flurry of giggles that helped to ease the building tension. Matsu just shook his head, grinning slightly.

"Now you've done it. He'll be in a mood," he observed.

"It's not my fault they're cute," Seiko defended herself. Kirara appeared by her ankles and she knelt, scooping the little cat into her arms. She removed the collar around Kirara's neck, changing her appearance from that of an ordinary housecat into the youkai they were all familiar with, and slipped it into her pocket. "Kagome-chan, are you ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be," Kagome replied, her heart pounding. She wanted to try to relax, but that was impossible. Every one of her nerves were on edge, and if someone had jumped out and scared her right then, she didn't know if she could be held responsible for her actions. Unconsciously, she grabbed the shards around her neck and squeezed them so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Exchanging a concerned look with Seiko, Matsu reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her forward so that the five of them formed their own little circle.

"You have to calm down," he whispered to her. "Being so wound up won't serve you well."

"I know, but I can't help it. I just want this to be over with. It's far overdue," she answered. Like five hundred years overdue. It was disgusting that Naraku was still walking around after all that time.

Seiko and Matsu exchanged another glance, and then Seiko squeezed her hand comfortingly as Shippou scrambled up onto her shoulder and patted her hair. "We all feel the same way," Seiko said quietly. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan. This ends now."

As though summoned by her words, Sesshoumaru appeared at the top of the stairs with Rin and Inuyasha on either side of him. Kagome concealed a gasp with her free hand at the sight of the great taiyoukai. He was dressed in the same clothing that he had worn over five hundred years ago, complete with the fluffy tail that was draped over his shoulders. Combined with the effect of Inuyasha in his fire-rat robes with Tetsusaiga and Rin in a lovely pink kimono, their presence was startling enough to send everyone into a stunned silence. That seemed to please Sesshoumaru, who proceeded to climb down the stairs with Rin on his arm. His movement revealed Kouga and Ayame, who wore clothing and armour similar to Kagome and the taijiya. All three of them followed Sesshoumaru down the stairs. Matsu's arm tightened around Kagome's shoulders, and then the next thing she knew, he was ushering her and Seiko over to stand beside Inuyasha. It was nothing short of nerve-wracking to have all of those eyes on her and she found herself swallowing anxiously.

"Do not be foolish," Sesshoumaru said, his words sliding over them like ice. "Naraku is a strong opponent with many tricks up his sleeve. He has killed many youkai and humans over the years. If he has the opportunity, he will kill you. Remain on your guard and trust no one. If you are wounded, move out. Follow the commands of your officer and above all, take caution."

"Officer?" she whispered, leaning back against Matsu and Seiko. Shippou crawled back down into her arms and she sighed. Their combined warmth was comforting.

"Like an army, but you don't have to worry about that part of it," Seiko replied, voice equally quiet. She slipped something into Kagome's hand. When Kagome looked down, she saw that she was holding a small white piece that looked a little like the end of an earphone, but without the wire. Confused, she arched an eyebrow.

"It's a device that will allow you to remain in contact with us," Matsu explained. "Place it in your ear. It was specially made with a filter so that the loud sounds wouldn't bother you."

Kagome did as he commanded, trying to ignore the way her ear twitched with irritating at the intrusion. The little ear bud slipped into her ear like it had been moulded for her, and she discovered that there was a tiny part to hook onto the outside of her ear to keep it in place. Matsu showed her how to switch it off and on with the touch of a small button hidden on the outside hook, and then gave her a slender bracelet that clasped loosely around her wrist. Keeping his voice low, he explained that she would speak into the bracelet to communicate with them, but that it didn't have to be near her lips. It was designed to pick up her voice even if she had her arms at her sides.

"Keep in mind that this will pick up everything," he added with a slightly amused look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, unable to stop her cheeks from turning a light pink. He laughed and she scowled, aiming a kick at his lower leg as Seiko rolled her eyes and cuffed him across the back of the head. Shaking her head as he protested the dual attack, Kagome looked back at Inuyasha. But she was unable to deny that Matsu's teasing had lightened the atmosphere, and she no longer felt quite as nervous as she had before, which had no doubt been the man's intention.

"Are you three ready, or are you just going to stand there chatting?" Inuyasha asked, looking down at them with an undeniably amused glint in his golden eyes.

"Ready!" Kagome said with a mock salute. She looked down at Shippou and was relieved to see that the intensity of his emotions and his mother's proximity had caused the kit to slip into a deep sleep. As guilty as she felt for leaving while he was slumbering, she couldn't help but be relieved. Tears would have distracted her from their ultimate goal, and that was a distraction that none of them could afford. Stepping forward, she placed one last kiss on Shippou's forehead before she handed her beloved child to Rin. The older woman smiled sympathetically and cuddled her nephew.

"Do not worry, Kagome-onee-san," she said quietly. "I will protect him with my life, I promise you that."

"I know you will, Rin-chan. I won't have to worry about him as long as he's here with you, and you have no idea how reassuring that is," Kagome answered. There had been many battles in the past where Shippou had been caught up in the middle and she'd struggled between fighting and trying to keep him safe. It really was for the best. But that didn't make it any easier to leave him behind. She ran her fingers through his hair one last time, imprinting the scent of candy and mischief on her senses. Her baby. A lump formed in her throat. "Take care of him, please, if something happens."

Rin ducked her head, worry shining in her dark brown eyes. She didn't lessen the magnitude of what they were about to do by pretending that there was no chance that Kagome, Inuyasha, and their pack would not return. Instead, she reached out with her free hand and hugged Kagome hard. Kagome relished the chance to embrace the woman who had been a complete god-send during the past few months and forced herself to let go, taking comfort and strength from Rin's small smile. Still, it was far more difficult than she could have imagined to turn her back to the two of them and walk away.

Was that what her mother had faced every time Kagome had gone down the well? She pondered that as she followed Inuyasha outside to the small, sleek car that would take them near to where Naraku was hiding. The others, including Seiko, Matsu and Kirara, would be arriving in different vehicles. If so, no wonder Kimiko hadn't wanted her going down the well so often. It was a real struggle to keep her mind from conjuring up the horrible things that could happen to Shippou and Rin and the rest of the children if Naraku got wind of the fact that they were alone. Kagome repressed a shudder and told herself to stop thinking that way. Easier said than done.

"Stop worrying," Inuyasha whispered. Strong hands caught her arms and pulled her across the seat and into a warm lap. Rather than fight, Kagome curled up into him, relishing the chance to have a moment with him before the battle would begin. Her arrows must have been digging into his side, but Inuyasha didn't complain as he wrapped his arms around her body and kissed the top of her head. "I won't let anything happen to you, Kagome. I promise."

Understanding struck. "Is that what you said to Shippou to make him stop crying?"

He nodded. "I only said what was true. Naraku will have to kill me to get to you."

She shivered, uncertain of how to tell him that that wasn't really comforting. Five hundred years ago, mere months for Kagome, Naraku had nearly succeeded in that task. If it weren't for her own intervention, Inuyasha really would be dead. "Let's hope that it will never come to that," she said finally, unconsciously twisting the ring on her hand.

He must have sensed her desire to change the subject, because he said, "You and I will be fighting together. If you lose sight of me, try to make your way to Seiko or Matsu. I don't want you to fight alone, Kagome. You're not used to that."

"I won't," she promised, resisting the urge to protest. He was right; she wasn't used to fighting at all, much less doing it by herself. She wasn't yet confident in her hanyou abilities, and the thought of physically fighting with another youkai the way she had at her school was enough to make her cringe. "But Inuyasha, promise me that you'll be careful."

His arms tightened around her and he sighed, dropping another kiss onto her forehead, exactly where she had kissed Shippou. But he said nothing, and she understood, even if she wished that it didn't have to be that way. Like her, Inuyasha would willingly sacrifice himself if it meant the end of Naraku, and she couldn't exactly get angry at him for something that she was willing to do herself. Biting her lip, Kagome stared out the tinted windows, wondering how the final battle would go and trying not to think about how much they all stood to lose. Because there was so much more to gain, and that's what she had to try to remember.

Eventually, the car began to slow, and she felt her heart beginning to speed up as Inuyasha pushed the door open and swung both of them out of the car. Kagome didn't recognize the area that they were in, but the knowledge of Naraku's whereabouts practically lit up in bright lights in her mind, and she knew that she could have found her way there with no trouble at all. Still, she fell into step behind Inuyasha without comment, silently drawing her bow and pulling out an arrow so that she wouldn't be surprised without a weapon if a youkai jumped out at them. Supposedly, Sesshoumaru's and Kouga's men had done a preliminary sweep, taking down the youkai that would be patrolling for Naraku, but that didn't mean Naraku didn't have traps lying in wait.

Inuyasha took a casual stance, strolling down the sidewalk like he had every right to be there, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. They were in a surprisingly residential, if affluent, area, and anyone who saw them would think that Inuyasha carried a wooden sword for kendo and Kagome was holding a bag in her hands instead of a bow and arrow thanks to the concealment charms. She made an effort to seem like she wasn't as on edge as she felt, though that was easier said than done. As they grew closer and her senses began to tingle, Inuyasha caught her eye and made a half-aborted motion towards his ear. Kagome frowned for a moment, bewildered, before she caught on. Quickly, she raised her hand and, under the guise of smoothing back a few wayward strands, switched the earpiece on. It hissed with static for a split second before snapping into perfect clarity – and suddenly, she could hear Matsu's voice.

"Seiko and I are approaching from the North. Status?" he asked.

"Kagome and I are about two minutes away," Inuyasha replied. He was speaking so quietly that Kagome couldn't hear him, yet the little device allowed her to hear him perfectly. It was kind of weird.

"Kouga and I are in position and waiting," Ayame reported.

"This Sesshoumaru is waiting as well," Sesshoumaru confirmed.

Kagome listened a moment longer and realized that she could hear nothing else but the faint sound of her friends and pack-mates speaking to each other. Apparently, they were on a specialized line that no one else had access to. For some reason, that fact comforted her as she followed Inuyasha towards their destination. It was a strangely normal-looking mansion, nowhere close to the size of Sesshoumaru's, which had no sign of harbouring a psychotic hanyou. She paused and knelt like she had dropped something and was searching for it while Inuyasha alerted the others to the fact that they had arrived. Her heart was suddenly pounding harder than ever. This was it. The moment they had been waiting for, for five hundred years, was here.

"Let's go."

She wasn't really sure who had spoken the words, but it seemed to be the only signal everyone needed. Inuyasha was a blur of motion as he spun around and leapt, landing neatly on the front doorstep. A well-placed kick took the door down. Instead of stepping inside, though, he moved aside so that several of Sesshoumaru's and Kouga's youkai could head in first to take care of any guards. Only when the squad had called out for them to enter did he lead Kagome inside. From her earpiece, she could tell that Sesshoumaru and his men had entered the back, while Seiko, Matsu, Kouga and Ayame had found their own ways into the house.

Their eyes met, and Inuyasha silently tilted his head in the direction of the floor below them. Kagome swallowed hard and nodded, knowing that the house was only a front, a way for Naraku to hide in plain sight. Slipping her concealment charm off, she walked through the halls cautiously, only somewhat comforted by the fact that one of the youkai on her side met her at every corner. Eventually, she threw her senses out, searching for the tell-tale tingle of the shikon shards. There was no way that Naraku would ever give them up; the shards were like a drug to him, and he would cling to them until the very end. Find the shards, find Naraku. But nothing was happening. Either their information was wrong, or Naraku had found some way to shield the shards from her.

Scowling, Kagome folded her hands around the few shards that she had left. "Please, Midoriko-sama," she breathed, her lips barely forming the words. She cringed slightly to hear her words broadcast across the link, but she had no choice. Silently, she commanded herself to ignore the sounds and focus. "Kikyou, I need your help. Show me where Naraku is."

The palms of her hands began to tingle. She concealed a gasp as she opened her hands to reveal the shards, which were beginning to shine with a beautiful blue light. A thin beam rose from the shards and shot off down the hall. Kagome's eyes widened slightly. A pathway, she realized, leading her to Naraku. Inuyasha stepped up beside her, a frown on his face, and looked blankly in the direction that Kagome was gazing in. His unfocused eyes told her that he couldn't see the beam the way she could. That was fine, and really, not that surprising. Gently, one finger over her lips to indicate silence, she gripped his arm and pulled him along, following the beam.

"Kagome," he began, but she shushed him, never looking away from the helpful little light guiding their way. At some point, she realized that Seiko and Matsu had joined the two of them, but she paid them no attention as she led them straight to a door that had not yet been opened. One of the youkai came swiftly at Inuyasha's summons and picked the lock, revealing that the room was actually a library, though it was empty except for the shelves of books that lined every wall. The beam shot straight across the room towards the center of the opposite wall, where to all appearances, there was no door.

Frowning speculatively, Kagome entered the room without hesitation and walked straight over to the wall. The shards continued to glow even as she dropped them against her chest and placed her hands against the books. It was an outside wall, so did that mean Naraku had already escaped and was somewhere outside? But no... she _knew_ that he was here. She could feel his presence. An illusion of some kind, then. Swiftly, she began running her hands over the books and the bottoms of the shelves around the beam of light, searching for some kind of switch. Her friends must have caught on, because Seiko and Matsu began to help her search while Inuyasha and Kirara stood back and guarded them just in case.

"I don't feel anything," Seiko whispered. "What are we looking for? Why?"

"I believe Midoriko-sama has spoken to Kagome-chan again," Matsu answered. He flicked a gaze towards the blue beam and narrowed his eyes. Kagome cast him a questioning glance, and he said, "I can see it, but just barely."

She nodded – that made sense, with his spiritual powers. Her fingers touched the spot directly below the beam of light and she jumped at the way they sank into the wall. Kagome backed away as the bookshelf began to shudder and then, slowly, disappeared, revealing a deep cave that had a crackling barrier around it. It was a conflicting sensation: the barrier wanted to purify her youkai side, but her miko side was acting like a kind of protective shield against that happening. Disoriented, she bumped to Inuyasha and would have stumbled had his arm not come out and gripped her waist supportively.

"It's a barrier," said her brother. "I think I can dispel it if you give me a few minutes."

"I'm not sure we have that long," said Inuyasha grimly. "Naraku knew that we were coming. He's waiting down there if he hasn't escaped already. Be quick, Houshi."

Matsu nodded and folded his hands together, lowering his head. He began speaking in a low voice, too soft for even the earpieces to pick up on. Inuyasha and Seiko couldn't see what he was doing, but Kagome could. The barrier appeared as a thin, almost invisible white wall that began to shimmer and pulse with a dark light. She shuddered in revulsion at the feelings rolling off it and held up her bow, drawing forth an arrow, since she knew that Matsu's spiritual powers were not strong enough to get rid of it on his own. Closing her eyes, she centered herself, waiting for the right moment to add her strength to his. His voice rose and fell with an almost lyrical quality that was soothing, and she was so caught up in listening that she nearly missed the moment when a voice that sounded suspiciously like Kikyou whispered to her.

"_Now, Kagome. Shoot._"

Her fingers moved unconsciously. The arrow flared with a brilliant pale pink light and exploded out of the bow, striking the barrier dead on. Inuyasha didn't have to be able to see the barrier to know what was going to happen next. He reached out and snagged the collar of Matsu's armour, dragging him and Kagome out of the way as Kirara leapt in front of Seiko and pushed the young woman back to protect her. The barrier exploded, sending a powerful gust of wind and shards of some solidified dark matter out into the room. Kagome huddled beneath Matsu, both of them protected by Inuyasha and his fire-rat robes, until the hanyou allowed them to move.

Seiko shook a fine layer of dust from her hair and drew one of her swords. "Is he still in there, Kagome-chan?"

"Yes," Kagome replied instantly, brushing the shards. The blue light had never changed direction, except that it was now pointing into the depths of the cave. She retrieved her arrow and slipped it back in with the others before the five of them cautiously entered the cave. None of them stopped to think about the fact that the explosion had not brought anyone else to the room.

The cave was deep and seemed to go on for miles. They were heading underground due to a very slight incline, and the air grew colder the further they traveled. Suppressing a shiver, Kagome inched closer to Kirara, grateful for the heat that the youkai gave off. Inuyasha was moving in front of them, Tetsusaiga in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Kagome wasn't sure where he'd gotten it from, but she was grateful that someone had the forethought to bring one along; otherwise, they would have been walking in complete darkness. Matsu was right behind him, and the two girls and Kirara brought up the rear.

Suddenly, Inuyasha stopped. He tilted his head towards the ceiling and sniffed the air, a frown settling across his face. He held out one arm to stop the others, though they had already frozen in place. "Something's not right."

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked. Without waiting for him to answer, she lifted her nose and breathed in deeply. Immediately, she could tell what Inuyasha meant. The scents that wafted to her nose weren't the normal smells that you'd expect to find in a cave. There was no musk, no dampness, not even a hint of rock or water. Instead, she smelled... darkness. And blood. Scents that were unfamiliar to her, but which made the back of her neck prickle with fear. All of a sudden, her mind jumped back to the moment when she'd saved Inuyasha's life by completing the ritual... and, both of them only half-conscious at the time, he'd said something about being able to smell darkness, and Myoga had shouted... Her heart leapt and she gasped for breath. "Inuyasha! It's – "

_Something_ jumped them. Kagome would never be able to explain exactly what it was. Some twisted, demented form of Naraku's power, likely. It sprang up from the ground and rolled up over her head before she had a chance to fight against it. Her family yelled and screamed as the same_ thing_ attacked them. She clung to her bow and fought the urge to cry out as Kikyou's voice shouted in her mind, ordering her to keep her mouth closed no matter what. The_ thing_ yanked her legs out from underneath her and she hit the ground hard on her back, driving all of the breath from her lungs. Then she knew nothing more.

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Please review!


	27. The Will to Follow My Destiny

**A/N:** Sad as I am to say, this story is definitely coming to an end. There are two more chapters after this, and then there will be an epilogue, meaning there'll be thirty chapters (such a nice, round number, don't you think?). I feel like this chapter jumps around a lot, but it was necessary to get in all of the different perspectives. Up until now, I've mostly stuck to Kagome, but obviously I couldn't do that the whole time because she's unconscious for most of it. Enjoy!

**Important Note:** On Monday, I start work full-time. I know, this announcement thrills none of us, believe me. I'm going to do my absolute best to make sure I don't fall behind on updates, but consider this your second (and final) warning.

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Chapter 27: The Will to Follow My Destiny

The mansion felt quiet, cold, and lonely. Rin paced quietly back and forth in front of the window, her hands locked behind her back. Most of the children had been sent to bed quite some time ago. Those that had chosen not to return for the night had been warned about Naraku and had taken care to guard against whatever measures that the evil hanyou might have sent against them. It was past the time that she normally would have gone to bed herself, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep as long as her family hadn't returned home. Every time she so much as tried to close her eyes, her mind would start conjuring up all the things that Naraku had done over the years, and imagining all the things he could easily do to the people she loved.

"I have to stop thinking this way," she groaned, gently rubbing her temples. But that was much easier said than done. Damn her mate for forcing her to stay behind! It had been done with her best interests at heart, and no doubt she would have been a liability if she had gone, but that didn't make it easy to sit there wondering if any of them would come home. She clenched her fists loosely, wishing that the ritual had done for her what it had done for Kagome. If she were a hanyou... Except she wasn't, so it was useless to think that way, wasn't it?

"Rin-sama? I've brought you some food. Won't you please eat?"

Rin jumped, startled by the voice, and turned to see her favourite maid, a young wolf youkai by the name of Taru, standing in the doorway with a tray. She smiled wanly, her weariness evident with the simple act. "I'm sorry, Taru-chan. I just can't find it in myself to have any appetite today."

"It's dangerous for your health to skip meals, Rin-sama. Especially in your condition." Taru watched her with wide, worried violet eyes. "I've made you a fruit salad with fresh strawberries. It's your favourite. There's even some fresh cream for you to dip the strawberries in. Are you sure that you wouldn't like to have even a bite?"

She cast a contemplating glance towards the tray, eyeing the bowl of fruit and the dish of rich, heavy cream beside it. It didn't take a hanyou's senses to know that all of the fruit was deliciously plump and ripe; she could tell just from a single look. Her stomach growled and she sighed, placing a hand lightly on top of her midsection as she walked over to the table and sat down. Taru beamed and quickly set the bowl of fruit salad, the cream, a plate of soft bread, and two cups of tea and water down on the table before her mistress could change her mind. Only once she was sure that Rin was actually going to eat did she begin retreating from the room.

"Wait," Rin said hastily. "Please stay with me. I don't want to be alone right now."

"Of course." Taru obediently sat down on the chair across from Rin and balanced the empty tray on her knees. Comforted by her maid's presence, Rin speared one of the strawberries and began eating, chewing the food slowly and methodically before swallowing each bite. Having Taru nearby, and knowing that she was not alone, helped to make the food go down more easily. The young girl had been her maid for nearly a hundred years, and they were actually quite close for a mistress and servant, but Taru insisted on a level of propriety between them that had kept them from ever becoming friends.

Halfway through the meal, Rin's fingers tightened around her fork as she felt the familiar queasiness gripping her midsection. A low groan escaped her lips as she bent double, fighting against the sudden urge to vomit. Taru leapt from her seat and flew over to the low cupboard at the end of the room, searching for the familiar medicine. She returned in seconds and gently pushed two pills into Rin's mouth before she picked up the cup of tea and helped her mistress to drink. Rin groaned again but obligingly drank what remained of the tea in several short sips. Gradually, the feeling of nausea began to subside, and the threat of throwing up everything she'd just eaten grew smaller as the pills kicked in.

"Thank you," she whispered hoarsely, taking the cup from Taru with fingers that trembled slightly. "Honestly, just once, I'd like to have a time when I didn't get sick every time I ate."

Taru's mouth twitched, and she watched her mistress closer as she sat down again. "I'm guessing that since the Lord is not here at your side, you didn't tell him?"

"How could I?" Rin flashed her a smile that was just this side of being bitter. She knew that if she'd told Sesshoumaru, he would have been torn between staying by her side and helping out with Naraku's defeat. It was the first and only time that she had ever hidden something so momentous from him. If they were ever to have a proper future... Naraku _needed_ to be destroyed. "I'll be fine, Taru-chan. It won't be for much longer. I've been eating, drinking, and resting well these past few months, so a night or two by myself won't kill me. I know that he'll come home to me eventually."

The young wolf youkai sighed but said nothing more, knowing that Rin was right. But that didn't change the fact that it was a lot more difficult for a human, often fatal, particularly when the youkai or hanyou mate was not around to offer extra strength and energy through the bond. Sesshoumaru's absence could kill Rin if he didn't return. She eyed her mistress, concerned at the thought. "Will you not try to eat a little more, my lady? It will do you well to keep your strength up."

"I'm sorry, Taru-chan. I just can't." Rin shook her head and pressed her lips together. "The pills have helped, but I know I'll be tempting fate if I eat anything else. I will have another cup of tea, though... If you wouldn't mind."

Practically before she had finished speaking, Taru was out of the chair and nearly tripping over herself in her haste to fetch another cup of tea before Rin decided against it. The woman hid a smile as she was left alone in the room and stood up, walking back over to the window. Unconsciously, her hand went to her throat and the small gold coin that she had been wearing for nearly three months now. Sesshoumaru had questioned the new necklace, and she'd claimed it was a gift from Ayame. Not quite a lie, but not the truth, either. Ayame had given it to her with a specific goal in mind: hiding the changes in her scent that would have told Sesshoumaru what had happened. For the first time since it had been given it to her, she slipped the coin off and placed it in her pocket. When her mate came home, there would be no more secrets between them. Only joy.

**IKIKIKIK**

Inuyasha was the first to wake up, but it was slow in coming. Normally he went from slumber to awake in less than a second, but not that time. He could feel his youkai blood at work, removing the toxins or whatever it was that Naraku had attacked them with, but it wasn't happening quickly. His body was sluggish, and he had to struggle to force his eyes open. The rough rock surface of the cave met his eyes, barely an inch away from his nose. It took some effort before he was able to get himself to roll over so that he could fully analyze the situation. There was no sign of the weird _thing_ that had attacked them, but nor was there any sign of his pack. Or Kagome.

"Fuck," he hissed under his breath. Mere hours after he had sworn to his son that he would protect Kagome with his life, and she had already been stolen away from him! The rage that swept through him was enough to get him moving. Slowly, awkwardly, he got his arms under his body and pushed himself up. His muscles were stiff with the kind of ache that came from sleeping on a hard surface and in a strange position, but other than that, he didn't feel too poorly once he was actually standing.

The cave had not changed while he'd been unconscious, at least as far as he could see. Smell was something different entirely. His nose could tell him a great deal about the world around him, and that included how his pack had been feeling. He could tell immediately that all four of them had been knocked out, but the taste of fear was bitter and strong on their scents. Inuyasha clenched his jaw, letting out his breath in a low, warning hiss. The memory of their cries rang in his ears, and he hated himself for not having been able to protect them. Whatever that _thing_ was, it had incapacitated him quickly and efficiently.

A threatening growl rose in his throat when his nose caught onto a different scent entirely. Naraku. The hanyou was always preceded by the vilest smell of blood, of hatred, of darkness. He'd never known that hate could have a smell until the day he met Naraku. If he lived to be ten thousand years old, he would never be able to get that scent out of his nose. That's what had been confusing him so much when they first walked into the cave; scents were nearly impossible to disguise unless it was by concealment charm, but the five of them had suddenly entered into what smelt like a pocket of Naraku's scent. It was only now, after the fact, that he realized Naraku had probably done that on purpose, with the intention of distracting Inuyasha so that he wouldn't be prepared for the attack.

"Damn you Naraku!" Inuyasha swore violently and slammed his fist into the wall. Pain radiated up his arm, but almost instantly, the tingling feeling in his fingers disappeared. Absently, he shook his hand out, mind working furiously. There were only two ways to go. Back to the house, or forward to God only knew what. The logical thing to do would be to retreat until he could summon help. Kouga and Sesshoumaru, much as he disliked the two of them, were every bit as anxious to see Naraku go down as he was, and getting back-up was probably for the best. But every part of his soul cried out against leaving his mate and his pack in the hands of Naraku for any longer than he had to. God only knew what the demented psycho was doing to them.

"That's it." Turning, he drew Tetsusaiga and strode into the darkness, all thoughts of summoning help gone. He followed his nose and his own common sense, which, after years of growing up in the wilderness on his own, was a lot more developed than most people seemed to think. Somehow, Naraku had hidden his scent again, but Inuyasha was still able to catch a whiff of it here and there. Every single time, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and a warning growl reverberated through his chest.

It seemed to take an eternity to get anywhere. Certainly, he knew that he had traveled for a good hour before the cave gradually began to widen and the stench of Naraku's scent became strong enough to smell all the time, and that concerned him. Just how long had he been knocked unconscious for? How long had Kagome and the others been in Naraku's grasp? Worried, he quickened his pace, though he remained ever wary of any other traps that Naraku might have set in place. But he met with no resistance, for as it turned out, Naraku was waiting for him, and he was welcoming Inuyasha with open arms.

"I hope you enjoyed this night, Naraku. It will be your last," he breathed out. He had emerged from the tunnel into a large room. Towards the far end, the ground crumbled away into a pit. Smoke that made his eyes sting and his throat ache rose from the pit, escaping through tiny cracks in the ceiling.

"That's quite a promise, Inuyasha. Are you sure you can come through on it?"

Inuyasha didn't jump. Didn't tense. He turned slowly, already expecting what he would see. Naraku was standing behind him, blocking the exit. The hanyou was in his human disguise and looked disturbingly innocent. "Bastard," Inuyasha swore, tightening his grip on his sword. "I'll kill you for what you've done. You won't leave this room alive."

Naraku just chuckled. "Always such a drama queen. I'm afraid that you're quite incorrect about that. Besides, I'm not the one that you need to be concerned about."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes slightly, hoping that the pang of fear that had jumped through him at Naraku's words didn't show on his face. It was never a good thing when Naraku looked that confident, that at ease. He tightened his grip around Tetsusaiga, prepared for an attack that might come out of nowhere.

The man just smirked and pointed. Inuyasha turned slowly, already dreading what he was going to see. His heart sank and his throat tightened when he caught sight of Kagome, Matsu, and Seiko. Just barely visible through the noxious smoke, the three members of his pack were hanging above the pit, their bodies pinned to the wall by more of the disgusting black goop that had originally attacked them. It looked something like a cocoon and covered them from just below their shoulders all the way down to their feet, leaving no chance of escape. All three of them were unconscious, and failed to respond even when he called out their names. He didn't even want to think about what might have been in the smoke that they had been breathing in. There were no sign of Kirara.

"Naraku, you bastard!" Inuyasha dashed forward, planning to set them free. He had to abort that plan when tentacles lashed in front of him, cutting of his route. The hanyou staggered back a step and then leapt up high, drawing the Tetsusaiga up with him. "Kaze no Kizu!" he bellowed, slicing through the tentacles instantly and blowing a small hole out in the side of the cave. Immediately, he felt the small earpiece that had been so silent during the past few hours crackle and whistle with clamouring voices. Inuyasha flinched and quickly muted it, hoping that Kouga and Sesshoumaru would be able to find their location as long as it was switched on.

It was a short, fierce battle. Inuyasha fought to get to his pack, knowing that every moment he wasted was another second that the three of them came closer to falling to their deaths. Naraku kept him back easily, using every trick in the book to keep his opponent distracted and off-balance. The whole time, a kind of manic glee gleamed in the eyes of the psychotic hanyou, as though he found Inuyasha's fear nothing short of amusing. Unexpectedly, he shot forwards, throwing Inuyasha backwards and knocking Tetsusaiga from his hands. The sword landed about twenty feet away from Inuyasha's prone body, and Naraku gave a chilling laugh as he lunged forward, ready to enact a killing blow.

He never got the chance. Sesshoumaru and Kouga burst out of the un-guarded tunnel at the same time. Both of them raced into battle in perfect synchronization, exchanging blows with Naraku. Inuyasha stirred, his eyes opening slowly. His whole body ached, and there was a ringing in his ears that was making his head throb. With an annoyed grunt, he shook the offending earpiece out of his ear and crushed it on the ground before glancing up at the battle, watching his brother and the wolf do their best to take Naraku down. Even their combined efforts against Naraku, who had been powered up with the help of dozens of shards, were nearly useless. Growling low in his throat, he jumped to his feet and darted towards the Tetsusaiga, ready to leap back into the battle.

**IKIKIKIK**

Pain, flaring across the back of Kagome's head, was what eventually woke her up. She opened her eyes a slit, feeling muddled and dizzy and disoriented. The world tilted and spun, and it took her a couple of minutes to understand what she was looking at. Seiko and Matsu were hanging across from her – literally. There was some disgusting black substance covering their bodies and pinning them to the walls a good thirty feet above the ground. More of the black goop coated Kagome from her shoulders to her feet, preventing her from moving even a finger. Her neck throbbed when she twisted, trying to look around, but all thoughts of pain vanished when she caught sight of what was happening below her.

A pit loomed below them, so deep and endless that not even Kagome's hanyou eyes could see the bottom. Noxious, hot smoke that made her feel ill and like she needed a bath oozed out of the pit, indicating that whatever was down there was probably not something she wanted to meet. Directly in front of her, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Naraku were fighting. Inuyasha had the Tetsusaiga in his hands and was trying his best to take Naraku down, but he was clearly preoccupied with their fate, and Naraku was having an easy time keeping the frantic hanyou back. Even Sesshoumaru and Kouga were having difficulty; their every move was being easily countered, and both of them seemed to be strangely distracted as well. A moment later, Kagome understood why when she felt the goop give slightly, and she glanced down to see that it was beginning to melt. In a matter of minutes, she and her siblings would plummet to their deaths while Inuyasha and the others looked on helplessly.

Some part of her knew that she should be freaking out. She _should _have been thrashing and struggling like a maniac, doing whatever it took to find a way out of the black goop so that she could save herself and her siblings. But the smoke was making her head feel heavy, and she couldn't resist closing her eyes just once more. Her head fell slowly to her chest, and it was only Inuyasha's pained cry that made Kagome snap out of it. Glancing up, she fought the urge to fall back asleep as she squinted in the direction of the fight. The haze from the smoke made it difficult to see.

"Inuyasha..." she whispered. Her mouth felt like someone had stuffed it full of cotton. She coughed harshly, the movement making her chest ache, and whimpered. Across from her, Seiko began to stir, and she realized that the two of them weren't as exposed to the smoke as she was. Doubtless Naraku was now making up for her youkai blood in spades.

"Kagome-chan?" Seiko lifted her head and looked around blearily with confusion at first. It was swiftly replaced by dawning horror. "Matsu! Wake up, damn it!"

Kagome made an attempt to smile, though she didn't think it came out quite right. The muscles in her face felt sluggish and slow to respond. "Onee-chan... Hurry... Help... Inu... yasha..." she mumbled, finally allowing her head to roll to the side. Her eyes fluttered closed, heedless of Seiko's frantic calls.

**IKIKIKIK**

_There was no pain and no dizziness this time, and that's what alerted her to the fact that she was dreaming. Kagome opened her eyes and looked around, already expecting what she would see. Sure enough, the endless, beautiful sky and the rising pink mist... That clinched it. She sighed, realizing from the familiar weight on her back that her bow and arrow had been restored to her. That, at least, was a benefit. Now if she could only force herself to wake up and return to the real world, maybe she could do something about the fact that Naraku was trying to murder her whole family._

_ A soft laugh came from behind her. "Temper, temper," a familiar voice chided._

_ Kagome spun at the sound of the voice, but she couldn't make anything out through the mist. It was thicker than ever, obscuring her vision in nearly every direction. Frustrated, she dropped her hands to her sides and looked down when her fingers touched unfamiliar fabric. Instantly, she recognized the outfit she was wearing as the one she'd worn last time, except it was a bit different. This time, she was wearing white boots with a slight pink heel, white pants that fit closely to her legs, and the same pale pink shirt. The white sleeves flared, covering the wrist gauntlets she was still wearing, and covered the backs of her hands in fingerless gloves, leaving the underside open in case she required her daggers. Similar to the armour that she had been given, yet different._

_ "Kagome. Stop admiring yourself and let's get down to business," Kikyou admonished, appearing out of the mist. She wore her miko robes, and her hair was tied back in a low ponytail._

_ "Hey, I'm totally ready," Kagome shot back, dropping the matter of her peculiar outfit. "Why did you call me here, Kikyou? I have to go back and help stop Naraku."_

_ "That's why you were called here." This voice was unfamiliar, yet it struck a chord in Kagome's heart. Startled, she turned, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of the second figure emerging from the thick mist. The warrior Midoriko smiled, her blue eyes warm. "Hello, Kagome. It's nice to finally meet you in person."_

_ "You – " Kagome cut herself off as her hand flew to her mouth. "How?"_

_ Midoriko pointed to Kagome's chest. "As long as you have even one of the shards with you, I will always be there," she explained. Her voice had a distinct lyrical quality that was pleasant to listen to. "It's true that the majority of my spirit is busy fighting those youkai. We are locked in an endless battle. But when you shattered the shikon no tama, I was freed to some degree. That's how I was able to influence your dreams and help you those few times."_

_ "I knew that was you," she muttered, looking between the two women. She felt almost awed to be in their presence. "Are you here to help us?"_

_ "My motives are slightly selfish, but yes. I am very tired, Kagome," Midoriko confessed. "I have been fighting for a long time and I want nothing more than to rest. You are the guardian of the shikon no tama. You're the only one who can seal the jewel. For that reason alone, I am willing to help you stop the hanyou who is keeping the rest of the shards from you. What little power I have is yours."_

_ "You already have the majority of my power, being that you are my reincarnation," Kikyou contributed, drawing nearer. Only when the two of them were in arm's reach did they stop. She gave Kagome a warm smile, her dark brown eyes surprisingly fond. "But I still have a bit left. To take down Naraku, it is worth it."_

_ "But... I don't know if I can do it." Distressed, Kagome clenched her hands into loose fists. It felt almost overwhelming to know that these two women were putting everything they had onto her shoulders. What if she failed? What if Naraku won? Her breath caught, and she unconsciously took a step backwards, wrapping her arms across her stomach in a weak gesture of protection. "Naraku is so strong. How can I alone be powerful enough to defeat him?"_

_ "You must not let yourself become weighted down with worries about whether or not you can win," Midoriko said gently. "I have spent many lifetimes fighting constantly in the shikon no tama. If I had ever been concerned about whether or not I was strong enough, I would have failed immediately. Trust in your own abilities, Kagome. You are much stronger than you think you are. This has been your destiny from the moment that you were born. You are the reason why the war with Naraku has gone on for as long as it has. You are the only one who can stop it. It was his destiny to be defeated by you, Kagome, hanyou mate of Inuyasha, the shikon miko. If you don't do this, then his darkness will envelop the world, and they – we – will never be free."_

_ The thought of such a bleak future was enough to make Kagome cringe. "Okay, you've convinced me," she said, her hands shaking slightly. "I want to do this. I want to believe that I can. Help me?"_

_ Two smiles formed, and Midoriko and Kikyou both reached a hand out to her at the same time. Kagome allowed her hands to slip into theirs and shivered at the feeling of wild power dancing over her skin. The shards around her neck sang with the familiar sensation of Midoriko. Knowledge flooded her mind, and she knew what she had to do. Instinctively, hardly aware of the fact that her hands had been released and they were now gripping her shoulders instead, she reached for an arrow and held it out in front of her, so that it was in the middle of their circle. All three women focused on it, poured their power into it, filling it with their wishes and desires for a future where everyone would be free of both the shikon no tama and Naraku._

_ "Are you ready?" She was never quite sure who had asked the question. But that didn't matter. Kagome knew what the answer was, and the brilliant white light was already washing over her as she spoke, returning her to the real world. _

"_Yes. Let's do this."_

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Please review!


	28. The Jewel Reformed

**A/N:** Yeah, another cliffhanger. I'm cruel, I know. At least this chapter doesn't end with the same thing. Just one more chapter, plus the epilogue, after this one... I can hardly believe it! This has been my longest story to date, though I'm fairly certain that a couple of other stories that I have in progress will beat the record soon. Still, it's momentous for the moment. I hope Naraku's defeat will be as epic as you all seem to have imagined it would be. I gave it my best shot. Enjoy!

**Important Note:** Since I'm working now, updates may not always be on Friday. Occasionally they may be on Saturday instead, depending on how busy I am. As always, check my profile for updates, because I do post there regularly, and you will see information there if an update is late/cancelled for the week.

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Chapter 28: The Jewel Reformed

Seiko's heart skipped a beat when Kagome's head fell back down to her chest. The younger girl's body went limp as she slipped fully into unconsciousness. Gritting her teeth against the feeling of the ooze against her body, Seiko managed to turn her head to the side just enough so that she caught sight of Matsu. He was still out, and no amount of hissing his name was enough to make him wake up. Swearing softly under her breath, she inched her hand up her side and began trying to pull her dagger out of her wrist gauntlet. There wasn't much room to manoeuvre – whatever the black goop was, it stuck to her like a more annoying version of glue – but eventually, she managed. Her fingers curled around the handle of the dagger just as Matsu's eyes finally opened.

"You're awake!" she said, relief flooding through her. For a moment, she'd been concerned that Naraku might have done him some serious damage. There was an ugly bruise forming on the side of his temples, and a small trickle of blood had made its way down his cheek. Seiko peered at him, wishing that the smoke wasn't so hard on her eyes. Though he was closer than Kagome was, she could barely see him – and as the smoke increased, Kagome's already dim form had disappeared entirely. "Matsu?"

A low groan was her answer. "I'm awake, my love. Though I have a dreadful headache. I wish I could remember what I did to deserve it. You haven't hit me this hard in years."

Her cheeks flamed. "I wasn't the one who struck you, pervert. It was Naraku."

The name seemed to flip a switch. His head snapped up and he looked around, uttering a loud curse as he realized their situation. Seiko flashed him a grim smile and began working on sawing through the goop. She would have to work carefully; if the whole thing came apart too quickly, she would be thrown down into the pit below them. Somehow, she was going to have to get free and then hold onto the wall while working to free Matsu and Kagome. Fortunately, the one blessing in the whole situation was that the wall that they were pinned to was craggy, with many natural dips and small holes for them to hold onto. As for how they were going to get the unconscious Kagome down... well, they would cross that bridge when and if they came to it.

Grimly, she continued, pressing on even when her wrist protested. Her hand was bent at an awkward, almost unnatural angle, since her arms were pinned to her sides. She let out a gasp of relief as the right side of the cocoon began to give away, giving her a little more room to work with. Shoving forward, she was able to get first her right shoulder free and then her left. The more goop that was cut, the more easily it gave way. Matsu watched her progress as carefully as he could, his mouth twisted in a frown of frustration at the fact that he couldn't do anything else to help her.

"Yes!" Seiko hissed victoriously, sliding her left hand out into the air. Her stomach twisted when she noticed just how close the pit was, and she tried not to think about it as she bent down and began sawing at the lower half. The instant she felt the black goop beginning to give way, she spun and grabbed for the wall, her hands groping desperately for a hold of some kind. A particularly sharp edge of rock sliced her tender fingertips and she yelped, then swore loudly as the dagger fell from her suddenly slippery grip. She and Matsu watched in silence as it fell about ten feet and landed on a small ledge.

"You don't happen to have another one, do you?" he asked after a beat of silence.

Seiko shot him a weary smile. "Never leave home without at least two," she quipped, trying to make her voice sound light. Bringing her hand closer to her face, she squinted, trying to get a look at the damage that had been done. Blood oozed out of a single slash across the index, middle, and ring fingers on her right hand. It wasn't serious, but it was painful, and because the nerves had been damaged, she was wary about whether or not she could accurately judge a hold. "Midoriko-sama, if you can hear me, please let us survive this battle," she prayed in a whisper.

If the warrior miko heard her impassioned prayer, there was no response. Seiko was on her own. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a single deep breath before determinedly moving her right foot, edging across the rock wall slowly, making sure that each dip could hold her before she put her full weight down. As she'd thought, it was surprisingly easy to move across the cave wall, but she was highly conscious of the fact that she was without a safety net. One slip and they were all screwed. Her heart squeezed tightly and she paused, gasping for breath and clinging to the wall. Matsu was only a foot or so away, but it seemed more like fifty feet.

"Seiko, don't be frightened," Matsu said suddenly. His eyes were trained on her face, and she realized that he must have caught the temporary flash of fear that had paralyzed her so effectively. "I know that you can do this. You're so beautiful to me right now. Your strength, your passion, your determination... I've never loved you more."

Seiko's eyes widened and she couldn't help the strangled gasp that escaped. "You... you love me?" she whispered, shocked.

Matsu smiled. "Yes, I love you."

"I... I..." Words failed her, but somehow she found the strength to go that last little bit. One moment she was a foot away, and the next she was right beside him, close enough to reach out and kiss him. So she did. Matsu tensed briefly beneath her lips before he relaxed and tilted his head for better access. Seiko pulled away before either of them could forget where they were or what was going on. She was blushing heavily, but smiling. "I... I love you, too," she mumbled.

"You do?" He looked shocked.

"Of course!" she said, glaring at him. "Do you think that I would die beside just anyone? Honestly, Houshi, you're an idiot as much as a pervert these days..." Trailing off into a mumbled rant which he couldn't really hear, she jammed her hip against the wall, yanked out her second dagger, and started sawing on the black thing with an annoyed expression that only heightened when she realized that he was staring off into the space above her head with a smile that could only be described as goofy. Rolling her eyes, Seiko shook her head and tried to keep the heavy blush off her face as the top portion of the goop finally parted. She moved on to the bottom half, but it didn't take her long to realize that something wasn't quite right.

When she'd been working on getting herself free, the goop had felt a little like clothing or fabric – tough, but easy enough to saw through with a sharp dagger. The goop around Matsu, on the other hand, was acting strangely. It stuck to the dagger when she pulled it away, and clung to her hands when she reached down to yank it away from his skin. Matsu was holding onto the cave's wall, and he made a disgusted face as he tried to kick it off of his lower half. Seiko's eyes widened when she noticed that the stuff was actually beginning to roll down his legs. It was... melting? The full consequences of that thought hit them both at the same time.

"Kagome-chan!" Seiko screamed, her head whipping around. Her throat tightened with fear when she saw that her sister was actually hanging off of the wall; her unconscious body was pulling against the melting goop and slowly succumbing to gravity. Matsu reached down with his free hand and grabbed her shoulder.

"Go!" he yelled in her ear. "I can get free. Help Kagome!"

Nodding frantically, Seiko jammed her dagger back into the gauntlet and began scrambling across the wall as fast as she could. It was harder going than she'd expected. Kagome had been pinned near the very back of the cave, and not only was the smoke thicker there so visibility was even worse, but the wall appeared to be smoothing out. The craggy dips, hollows, and holds that she was depending on were disappearing, and by the time she was about five feet away, she could get no closer. Frustrated, she clung to the wall, her eyes desperately searching the smooth surface for any sign of a way to get just a little bit further.

"Kagome-chan! Kagome-chan, wake up!" she shouted, knowing that her words were probably alerting those fighting on the ground to their situation. "No! KAGOME-CHAN!" Her scream echoed, bouncing off of the cave walls, as the goop finally gave. Kagome's limp body plummeted instantly, sending her falling head-first into the pit below them. She was swallowed up by the smoke within seconds, leaving Seiko staring down into the depths with a frozen look on her face. Lips moving soundlessly, she felt her grip on the wall weakening as fatigue and shock finally caught up on her. Matsu screamed her name as she felt herself slipping, but unlike Kagome, she didn't fall very far.

There was a loud, familiar roar as the cave wall exploded inward, causing several small pieces of shrapnel to hit her face and body. Kirara burst into the room with another angry cry, fangs bared, hissing loudly, and immediately leapt forward so that she caught Seiko before the teen had fallen even a few feet. Seiko twisted, wrapping her arms around Kirara's neck and burying her face in the warm fur as Kirara ran to help Matsu. Why hadn't she called out before? Kirara might have heard them sooner, and then she could have saved Kagome's life. Kagome. A low, keening wail caught in her throat at the thought of her sister. Warm arms slipped around her waist as Matsu climbed onto Kirara behind her.

"Seiko, I know, but we can't think about it now," he whispered, sounding concerned. "Inuyasha..."

Oh_ God_. Inuyasha. Her head snapped up and she looked down at where Naraku, Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Inuyasha had been holding their own fight. Sesshoumaru's face was completely blank, but she was pretty sure she detected a thread of grief in his golden eyes. Kouga had one of his hands over his face and his head was turned away, as though he couldn't bear to look. Naraku was smiling, a chilling sight in itself, but it only grew worse when he began to laugh. And Inuyasha... poor Inuyasha was standing perfectly still, his eyes locked on the spot where Kagome had disappeared. The Tetsusaiga fell from his fingers and landed on the ground beside him. As though the sharp clang of the sword snapped him out of his daze, he threw back his head and began to scream.

Sesshoumaru and Kouga had the presence of mind to get away from him, perhaps realizing what was about to happen. Seiko swallowed hard, unconsciously grabbing the hand that Matsu had wrapped around her waist and holding on tightly, as Inuyasha screamed his agony over the loss of his mate to the heavens. He collapsed to his knees, hands flying to his head, as his scream began to take on a noticeably familiar, very enraged, tone. Slowly, his claws and teeth began to lengthen, tattoos began to form on his face and hands, and crimson rage began to bleed into his amber eyes.

"Fuck," Matsu swore, his body shaking slightly. Whether it was from fear or cold, Seiko wasn't sure. "He's losing it. Kagome-chan's death has pushed him over the edge. Inuyasha! Pick up Tetsusaiga!"

His shout went unheard over the sound of Inuyasha's snarling and growling, and Seiko thought rather absently that it was just as well, because she didn't think that even Tetsusaiga's power would have been enough to contain Inuyasha this time around. For the first time ever, as the hanyou lost control and transformed into his fully youkai counterpart, there were tears streaming freely down his cheeks. It was only the second time in her life that she had ever seen Inuyasha cry, and the first time that she had watched him cry from grief. It was enough to make tears of pain slip down Seiko's cheeks, and she caught her breath on a gasp.

"Inuyasha, watch out!" she cried, catching a glimpse of Naraku out of the corner of her eye.

Naraku had chosen to take advantage of the hanyou's transformation. Several tentacles charged Inuyasha, gleaming with razor-sharp points at the tips. Seconds before they would have impacted, Inuyasha spun, his eyes now fully crimson. One swipe of his claws and the tentacles fell to the ground in pieces. He turned on Naraku then, who couldn't quite hide the temporary flash of fear that spiked in his eyes. Inuyasha was strong enough as a hanyou, but when he lost control as a youkai, he gained power like none other. And all of that power and rage was currently focused on Naraku.

"How do we stop him?" Seiko asked in horror, wincing as Inuyasha threw himself at Naraku. Heedless of the danger or the damage that Naraku was doing to his body, he was lashing out in every direction.

"I don't think that we can stop him," he answered grimly, placing his free hand on Seiko's shoulder. "Kagome-chan was the only person who could snap Inuyasha out of it. Without her, Inuyasha can't even hear us anymore. Don't land, Kirara. If he catches sigh of us, he might try to kill us, thinking that we're the enemy."

With a low growl of understanding, Kirara soared up over the fight as Inuyasha howled and charged at Naraku. The evil hanyou dodged and let out a low cackle. "That's right, Inuyasha. Lose control," he mocked. "Your precious miko is finally dead. I've taken both Kikyou _and _Kagome from you. Does it hurt?"

As he spoke, he slammed a tentacle into the ceiling, sending a cascade of rocks and other debris down on top of Inuyasha. The combined force slammed the hanyou-turned-youkai into the ground, where he thrashed about, struggling to free himself. Before Naraku could strike the killing blow, Sesshoumaru charged forward while Kouga helped to free Inuyasha. Hissing loudly, the enraged youkai shoved Kouga away and flew towards Naraku, claws extended. Because Naraku was distracted by Sesshoumaru, he was able to drive his claws deeply into Naraku's shoulder. Everything froze for a split second before Naraku gave a pained growl and slammed a wave of power into Inuyasha's midsection that sent him flying into the cave wall.

"Inuyasha!" Seiko and Matsu cried together. For several heart-pounding seconds, there was nothing to indicate that he had survived the blow. Then, slowly, the smoke and dust cleared, revealing Inuyasha bent on one knee, breathing harshly.

"This isn't working. He's going to kill Inuyasha," Matsu said, sounding worried. Instinctively, he groped for the weapons that had been hidden on his body when he collapsed, but someone had obviously taken care to remove them ahead of time. He looked down at his hand and touched the beads, tracing the familiar pattern with his finger.

Seiko caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. "No!" she hissed, grabbing his wrist forcefully. "Don't you dare. I mean it. Kagome-chan sealed that for you. She can't do it a second time."

"If Naraku lives, it won't matter how many times she seals it. I will die of it eventually," Matsu replied, making an effort to keep the fear from his voice. The Kazaana had plagued him since it had reappeared, and every one of his nightmares usually ended with the black hole sucking him – and often the rest of his friends and family – inside. Knowing what it was like to die by it had not assuaged his fears, but made them worse. "Seiko, you have to let me do this. I won't let him kill Inuyasha or hurt anyone else. I have to try. I don't want this battle to end knowing that there was something more that I could have done!"

"No, I won't! There has to be another way." Seiko felt truly desperate for the first time since the fight had begun. There was a chance that Naraku might not see the move coming, and there was no sign of his saimyousho, which meant that technically Matsu could use the Kazaana. But she didn't even want to consider it. Kagome's seal would vanish the instant he went to use his hand.

"I'm sorry," Matsu whispered, his lips barely brushing the back of her neck. He glanced down towards the four below and shouted, "Sesshoumaru-sama, Kouga-san, protect Inuyasha! _Kazaana_!"

The seal that Kagome and Kikyou had worked together to create vanished instantly. Seiko yelped and clung to Kirara to avoid getting sucked in as the hole in his hand sprang open behind hr. Surprisingly, Sesshoumaru was the one who went to Inuyasha's aid, pinning the younger hanyou-turned-youkai to the ground with one hand while holding on to the cave wall with his other, while Kouga steadied himself by digging the forgotten Tetsusaiga into the cave ground. Naraku growled loudly as he began to slide towards the deadly hole; several of his tentacles flew off of the ground and were instantly absorbed. He reached into his pocket and drew forth what looked like a handful of little marbles, which he flung in Matsu's direction as he shouted a word in a language Seiko didn't understand. The little marbles lit up and began to morph, changing into saimyousho. Her heart sank. Matsu swore and jerked backwards, but it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to close the Kazaana in time...

An arrow flew by, brilliant and blazing with a familiar pink power, disintegrating the saimyousho into nothing but ashes, which were the last thing Matsu sucked up before he closed the Kazaana. He stared at the spot where the creatures had been, then looked over at the spot where the arrow had struck with a dumbfounded expression. Seiko held her breath as Kirara swung them around, as everyone in the room gazed as one in the direction that the arrow had come from, at the girl who was standing in front of the pit like she hadn't just fallen to her death mere minutes beforehand.

Kagome looked strong, determined, and pissed. She was wearing different clothing than before, a kind of pink and white armour that Seiko had never seen before. Her hair spilled freely around her shoulders, and the shikon shards glittered around her throat. Acting as though she didn't notice the way she was being stared at, she calmly drew another arrow from the batch on her back and strung it against her bow. This time, she pointed it in Naraku's direction. Without saying a word, she lit the arrow up with a burst of fire and released. Naraku dove out of the way, but the arrow missed him by several feet.

"You need lessons, Miko," he said tauntingly, sliding his hand into his pocket again.

"Do I?" Kagome asked with a smirk. As she spoke, the wall of the cave began to rumble. Seiko smothered a gasp with her hand as the arrow Kagome had shot triggered another cave-in that crushed Naraku to the ground. It would only hold him for mere minutes, but maybe that was all they needed.

"Kagome-chan! You're alive..." she whispered, watching Kagome run to Inuyasha. Tears ran down her cheeks unchecked. For a moment, the battle had appeared to be completely hopeless, but suddenly, she could believe again that Naraku would be stopped.

**IKIKIKIK**

Inuyasha was still on his knees from when Sesshoumaru had pinned him down, his eyes still glowing a vivid crimson. He snarled at her when she knelt in front of him. Kagome felt her heart break as she gazed into his eyes, knowing that the man she loved was somewhere inside, locked behind the mindless rage. Sesshoumaru released his grip on Inuyasha's shoulder slowly and backed away a step, but he stayed close enough to help if Inuyasha attacked her – a fact she appreciated, though she knew that she wouldn't need his help. Gently, she reached out and cupped Inuyasha's cheek, trailing her thumb over the vivid purple stripes on his cheek. Though he did not pull away from her touch, his whole body tensed, and a low hiss of warning escaped his lips.

"Kouga-kun, could you bring me Tetsusaiga?" Kagome asked without looking away from her love.

Footsteps were her only indication that Kouga was doing as she had asked. A moment later, the Tetsusaiga landed beside her. It had returned to the form of an old, battered sword when Inuyasha lost control to his youkai side. Kagome released Inuyasha and picked it up, holding it carefully. The weight of the sword felt good in her hands, and she closed her eyes briefly, greeting the sword silently. Soothing warmth pulsed through her soul as the ancient sword greeted the child it had been sworn to protect, and she felt herself smile as she looked back at Inuyasha, who was eyeing both her and the sword warily.

"Inuyasha, you have to come back to me," she said quietly, gazing deeply into his eyes. "I need you here with me. We've been waiting for this moment for over five hundred years. Don't let Naraku take it away from us." Slowly, making no sudden movements, she took his hand and wrapped it around the handle of Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha sucked in a sharp breath as the power of the sword began to flood through him. At the same time, Kagome leaned forward and up, pressing their lips together firmly. It had worked to awaken him once before, and she was praying that between her love and the sword's strength, they would be able to bring Inuyasha back from the brink.

There was a moment when it was just the two of them, frozen in time - and then Inuyasha groaned, his back arching as his human side began to fight back. Kagome closed her eyes against the tears threatening to break free and pulled back just enough to take a deep breath before she kissed him again, harder this time, and sent a small trickle of power flowing through his veins. It was dangerous, because the smallest miscalculation would result in Inuyasha being purified, but she sensed that he had come so close to being lost forever that he needed a bit of extra help in reclaiming himself. When she felt his lips move beneath hers, drawing her into a much gentler, sweeter kiss, she knew that the hanyou had returned to normal.

"You're back," she breathed, drawing back and opening her eyes. Golden eyes looked back at her, though there was still a tinge of crimson, and the purple stripes on his cheek had not entirely faded. "Inuyasha..."

"Kagome..." His voice caught on the word. "You... You're here. You're alive."

Hesitantly, she nodded. "I'm sorry for frightening you again."

"God, Kagome." He crushed her into an embrace that would have broken ribs had she not been a hanyou. "I thought for sure that this time... and I couldn't do anything..."

"I'm here, Inuyasha, and you have to help me. I need your strength to defeat Naraku. I can't do this alone," Kagome said urgently, a single tear sliding down her cheek. She knew that Kikyou and Midoriko were both with her, but their presence wasn't enough. Without Inuyasha, she would be lost.

Inuyasha breathed in her scent one last time and nodded, but before he could speak, the ground began to shake as Naraku struggled up through the rocks that had fallen on him. He was breathing hard and his eyes were blazing with fury as he glared across the room at Kagome. She stood up and returned the sentiment, narrowing her eyes back at him. The time had come for the war between them to end. Naraku would never have the chance to ruin the world with more chaos and destruction; Kagome would die to be sure of that, but she hoped that was unnecessary, now that she knew what she had to do.

"Naraku, you have killed many people and hurt thousands more," she said coldly, pointing her finger at him. "You can no longer be allowed to roam free."

"And you think to stop me? You, the foolish little miko?" he asked in return, not sounding concerned in the least. "Little girl, you cannot even begin to imagine the kind of power I have. I will destroy your everything."

"That's what you think," Kagome muttered. "Inuyasha... are you ready?"

"I was born ready for this," the hanyou answered with a growl. He'd allowed Naraku to come close to killing Kagome one too many times for comfort.

"Then let's do it," she whispered.

Inuyasha hefted the sword, which transformed in an instant. As Kagome took out an arrow and began to fiddle with it beside him, he summoned as much power as he could and thrust it all into the Tetsusaiga, giving everything he had. "_KONGOUSOUHA_!"

Raw power burst out of the Tetsusaiga in the form of wind and diamonds. Naraku shouted something unintelligible and began to brace himself for the attack. He was smirking with confidence. What he wasn't expecting was for Sesshoumaru, Kouga, and Kirara to attack at the same time. Faced with such overwhelming power, he staggered, his eyes widening as he struggled to draw on the shikon shards for strength. Kagome smiled grimly and pointed the bow and purity arrow in his direction. Already, the arrow was gleaming with a beautiful, shining white light, but there was one major difference that even Kikyou and Midoriko could not have anticipated: she had tied the shards of the shikon no tama to the end of the arrow.

"Die, Naraku!" Kagome yelled, and released.

Pink and white power blazed a trail in the air as the arrow flew straight and true into the center of the storm of attacks. Naraku screamed, the note ringing and bouncing off of the walls of the cave, as the light grew stronger and brighter. Inuyasha whirled, grabbed Kagome, and dragged her down to the ground. He was vaguely aware of the rest of their friends taking cover as the spot where Naraku had been literally exploded, blinding them all with an intensity of shining light. Kagome gasped softly at the shocking feeling of power radiating out from that spot. She could feel Naraku's darkness fading as it lost the battle against their combined strength.

When it was over, and the world had settled around them, Kagome pushed Inuyasha's arm off and sat up. Part of her was already expecting what she saw. The fully formed shikon no tama was lying on the ground where Naraku had been, but there was no sign of the demented hanyou. A tired smile made its way over her lips as she got to her feet and walked over, scooping the jewel up. It had turned an ugly greyish color from Naraku's taint. Nearly all of her miko power had been depleted, and she had little left to offer, but the jewel began to glow with a pale pink light anyway as it was purified just from being in her presence.

"It's over," she said out loud. The words came out choked, so soft that no one else heard. Kagome spun around with a joyful smile on her face. "It's over!" she yelled.

Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and bounded over. He grabbed Kagome and lifted her up into an exalted spin that left both dizzy and laughing. Sesshoumaru exchanged a satisfied smile with Kouga as Kirara landed on the ground. Seiko and Matsu hopped off, and the boy held his hand up with an awed expression as the Kazaana finally disappeared, leading credence to Kagome's excited claim. Without saying a word, he grabbed Seiko and pulled her into a deep kiss while dipping her backwards to the ground. Kirara changed back into her smaller form and gave a loud purr of contentment.

"This Sesshoumaru will advise the others of our victory," Sesshoumaru said, drawing a sleek black phone out of his pocket. The first person he called was Rin, and her shriek of joy was loud enough for Kagome to hear. She laughed and looked up at Inuyasha with eyes that shone.

"We're free," she said in wonderment. "He's really dead."

"For good this time," he replied confidently, and kissed her.

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Please review!


	29. Dance With Me

**A/N:** So here it is, the last chapter. It's the longest one yet, which I guess isn't surprising when I consider all of the things that I really wanted to have happen. I have to say, when I began this story, I had no idea what kind of ending it would come to, but I never expected this one. I think it fits, though. It's happy and bittersweet at the same time, and honestly, sometimes those are the best kinds. I hope everyone can understand the final part and why Kagome makes the decision that she does. Please take the wedding ceremony with a grain of salt… Have never attended one before, I was writing blind. Keep an eye out for the epilogue, which will be posted next week. In the meantime, enjoy!

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Chapter 29: Dance With Me

The soft, round pink jewel glistened as she turned it, catching the light and reflecting it back into her eyes. Kagome blinked and then grimaced, curling her fingers around the shikon no tama to prevent the sunlight from blinding her completely. She didn't think she'd ever tire of admiring the jewel and wondering how something that looked so innocent could cause so much devastation. It was so small, tiny enough that she could comfortably hold it within the palm of her admittedly petite hands, and yet it had so much power. Looked enough like a marble to fool anyone, but could easily destroy the world in the wrong hands. And she had no idea what to do with it. Not the slightest clue.

Kagome sighed and pulled her hand closer to her chest, tucking the jewel comfortably against her skin. During the past day or so, she'd agonized over what to do with the it. The question had never been far from her mind. Everyone she approached took the road of silence and urged her to make her own decision regarding the jewel. Which was fine in theory, but what she was really looking for was some help in figuring it out! The shikon no tama would be a danger to them for as long as it existed. Youkai and humans alike would eventually come searching as soon as the rumours that that Naraku had died and the Shikon Miko was in full possession of the completed jewel once more spread. It was dangerous to keep around, which meant she had to make a wish in order to get rid of it.

"Easier said than done," she muttered to herself, placing it gingerly on the edge of the bed. She unconsciously began to twist the ring on her finger as she eyed the small pink ball. Neither Midoriko nor Kikyou had appeared to her since Naraku's death, though it wasn't from a lack of Kagome asking them to. Perhaps the two of them had been honest when they said they were giving Kagome the very last of their power. On the bright side, Naraku was truly dead, and that meant their wedding could progress as planned. It should have been a happy occasion... but the jewel was hanging over her head like the proverbial storm, and she couldn't seem to stop thinking about it for more than two seconds.

Behind her, the door opened. Kagome's nose twitched, and she swallowed a sneeze, knowing without turning that Rin, Ayame, Seiko, and Kimiko had just come into the room. Ayame still had her right arm in a cast, as her arm had been badly broken during the battle. She still looked beautiful, though, dressed in the same strapless blue gown as Rin. Seiko was wearing a violet gown a little different in style and cut to signify her status as the maid of honour. Kimiko, though her face was pale and wan, had never looked lovelier in the soft pink suit she had chosen. Her expression was brimming with love and pride as she surveyed her only daughter just one short hour before the wedding would begin.

"Are you still brooding over that?" Ayame asked suddenly, putting her free hand on her hip. "If you don't knock it off, I'm going to take it away, and you won't get it back until tomorrow morning."

"No!" Panic washed over Kagome as she stepped protectively in front of the bed, adrenaline pulsing through her body at the thought. However much she might have hated the damn thing, she was utterly petrified over the thought of letting it out of her sight for more than a few minutes, particularly if someone other than Inuyasha was the one holding it. They'd searched so long and lost so much during the quest to put the jewel together that she didn't dare risk having it stolen.

"I was just joking, Kagome-chan," said the wolf soothingly, exchanging a worried look with Rin. Both of them were of the opinion that Kagome was obsessing over the shikon no tama, but no one was quite sure how to confront the girl. Kagome had been somewhat high-strung since the battle - though no one could really blame her for that, considering all that had happened - and she didn't seem to be ready to settle down anytime soon. "We came in to help you with your wedding dress. Don't you want to see it?"

Golden eyes lit up. "Yes! Please!" she exclaimed eagerly, forgetting all about the threat. At first, she'd been rather put off by the idea of allowing Rin and Ayame to purchase a dress for her sight unseen. Like most little girls, she'd dreamed about going dress shopping since she was a small child. But after some thought, she'd agreed to it. She hated the thought of dragging Kimiko out of bed to search for a dress, and there had been so much going on that she really hadn't had the necessary time, anyway. It had been the furthest thing from her mind while the battle was going on, but now she was eager to see what they had chosen.

"It's right over here," Rin said with an excited smile, walking over to the corner of Kagome's bedroom. A large folding screen had been set up, and she'd made Kagome promise not to look behind it until she or Ayame gave permission. Slowly, deliberately prolonging the revelation until a small whine escaped Kagome's throat, she pushed the screen back, revealing a gown that made Kagome's jaw drop and Seiko and Kimiko gasp.

It was beautiful but classy, simple but elegant. Strapless, as per Kagome's request, it would fit tightly to her bust and waist before flowing out around the hips, though it wasn't overly bushy. The front of the dress had some stunning embroidery in bright red so that she would match Inuyasha's fire-rat robes, along with a few glittering diamonds here and there for extra affect. Beside it was a stunning ruby-and-diamond jewellery set consisting of a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. Kagome's mouth hung open as she approached the gorgeous white gown and tentatively ran her hand down the soft, satiny fabric, and then gently fingered the delicate necklace. She was completely speechless. In all of her dreams and fantasies, she had never imagined an outfit that was quite so perfect. Overwhelmed, she turned to Rin in silence, hoping that her face would convey all of the gratitude that was flowing through her heart.

Rin smiled again. "You're welcome, Kagome-chan," she said softly. "It was our pleasure."

"Let's get you dressed," Seiko suggested, sensing that Kagome was a bit overwhelmed. Between the four women, they managed to get Kagome into the dress, though the process took a good half hour. The dress had to be laced up the back, and even with Seiko pulling her hardest, it was a while before it was tight enough to satisfy Rin but not so tight that Kagome couldn't breathe. Then her make-up and jewellery had to be put on, and her hair styled up into a fancy bun that left a few select strands of lightly curled hair hanging around her face. At last, Kagome turned to face herself in the mirror and felt completely awed at the sight of the girl staring back at her. She had always tried to imagine herself as a bride when she was a child, but now the day had come... and she didn't quite know _what _to do.

"Could I have a moment alone with Kagome?" Kimiko asked, never taking her eyes off of her daughter. Rin, Ayame, and Seiko quickly filed out of the room, with Ayame closing the door gently behind them. Once they were gone, Kimiko quietly stepped up beside her daughter, eyes misting over when she peered over Kagome's shoulder into the mirror.

"I can hardly believe it, Mama," Kagome whispered. "I'm getting _married_."

Kimiko chuckled and swiftly brushed away her tears. "Yes, you are, and you look stunning. I only wish that your father could have been here to see you, Kagome. He would have been so proud of you."

"Mama..." She turned, her gown rustling softly at the movement. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Waving her hand, Kimiko brushed away the concern. "Actually, there was a reason that I asked your friends to leave. I have something to give you and I wanted it to just be the two of us." She walked over to Kagome's old dresser and picked up a small box that Kagome hadn't noticed before. Pressing it into Kagome's hands, she went on, "I wore this on my wedding day, and I've been saving it for you for all these years. I had always dreamed that you would wear it when you got married."

Curious, Kagome opened the box, and couldn't stop the gasp that escaped when she saw what it contained. It was a lovely red flower that looked incredibly realistic, like someone had just picked it off the vine moments ago. The petals were silken soft to the touch, and she noticed tiny diamonds adorning the edges, like dew. Kimiko smiled at her reaction and gently reached out to pick it up. Only then did Kagome realize it was attached to a comb. Her mother reached up, and she obediently ducked her head so that Kimiko could slip it into place. She felt the comb slide snugly against the bun, and when she looked up and twisted her head, she saw that it stood out brilliantly against the darkness of her hair. Considering the red on the front of her gown, the comb looked as though it had been especially designed for her.

"It's gorgeous," she breathed, stunned. "How did you ever...?"

"My mother-in-law, your father's mother and your grandmother, gave it to me," came the reply. "I didn't have much jewellery or even that fancy of a dress because your father and I didn't have much money at the time. She told me that since she had never had a daughter to pass it onto, she wanted me to have it. That was the first time that I really felt like she actually accepted me." Kimiko smiled faintly. "Someday, you'll have the honour of passing it onto your own daughter." The unspoken "I wish I could be here" lingered between them.

It was enough to make Kagome loose interest in the comb as she looked at the older woman closely. A chill swept down her spine when she noticed the tears glistening in Kimiko's eyes and the waxen quality of her mother's face. "Are you _sure_ that you're feeling alright?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Yes, dear, I'm fine," her mother said dismissively. "You can't blame a woman for feeling a little overwhelmed on her daughter's wedding day, can you? Especially not when you look so beautiful." Tenderly, she reached out and wound a stray curl around her finger. When she released it, the strands fell against the curve of Kagome's cheek. "There. Perfect."

"Thank you," Kagome said sincerely, her eyes beginning to shine. She twitched an ear as she glanced back into the mirror. Never in all of her dreams had she imagined that she would be an inu hanyou on her wedding day, but she cherished the fact that she and Inuyasha would be able to get married as they really were, and not with an illusion in place. Every invitation that had been sent to the humans had asked them to wear parts of an animal costume in keeping with the "theme" of the wedding, so the youkai and hanyou that were coming would blend in perfectly. Her dream of marrying a hanyou Inuyasha to come true. "I don't think I've ever been so happy. I never believed that I _could_ be this happy."

"I felt that way when I married your father," said Kimiko, perching on the edge of the bed. The shikon no tama rolled across the bed and slipped down against her leg. Kimiko picked it up, thoughtfully rolling the little round ball between her fingertips. "Of course, the days when I had you and your brother were also some of the happiest days of my life. You've been a blessing to me, Kagome, and you will never know how happy it makes me that I was able to be here for your special day."

"Mama..." Kagome began.

"No, please, let me finish. I need to say this to you." She looked down at the jewel and sighed. "Kagome, I don't want you to have unrealistic expectations about how much longer I'm going to last. I've wanted to say this to you for some time, but there was never a moment when the two of us could have a chance to speak. Saying this right before your wedding, when you should have nothing else on your mind, feels cruel, but... I have to know that you understand. I won't be here to see my grandchildren or to watch Souta grow up. I feel blessed to have gotten the opportunity to live long enough to see you married. I've never regretted a day of my life, but I would have regretted not being able to share this moment with you if I had passed on sooner."

"You don't have to die at all!" The words tumbled out in a frantic rush. Kimiko's eyes widened as Kagome hurried across the floor and knelt in front of her. "Mama, listen. All of those times that Jii-chan talked about what the shikon no tama could do... they're all true. This jewel has unimaginable power." She cupped her mother's hands, causing the light to bounce off of the jewel in a shimmering pink wave. "If I wished on it... even if _you_ wished on it... I think it could save your life. Your disease would be gone. You'd be okay." Tears sparkled briefly in her eyes. "Wouldn't you like that? Then you could have those times with me and Souta and our children."

"Kagome..."

"Please, just think about it," Kagome begged. She was trying hard not to cry because she didn't want to have to do her make-up again, but she couldn't help it. "Please?"

"Alright. I'll think about it," Kimiko promised, unable to deny Kagome anything when the end was so close. "Look, why don't you let me keep the shikon no tama during the ceremony? I don't want you to get married with this thing on your body. I know how much you've been worrying about it."

An uncertain look crossed Kagome's face. On the one hand, if she let her mother keep the jewel, maybe then woman would make a wish to save herself from the sickness that was killing her. But on the other hand, countless youkai, hanyou, and humans were going to be around, and everyone knew that the shikon no tama would not be far from the Shikon Miko. That could cause problems. However, Kagome, Inuyasha, and the rest of their pack would also be around, so surely no one would be stupid enough to pick a fight over the jewel, right? And yet, she didn't like the thought of letting the shikon no tama out of her sight for even a few minutes... She glanced at her mother's weary, hopeful face and felt the words of denial die on the tip of her tongue. Hesitantly, she nodded.

"Alright, Mama. You can keep the jewel during the ceremony. I'll get it back from you as soon as it's over. Just make sure that you don't let on to anyone that you've got it, alright?" Using the headboard for additional balance, Kagome stood up awkwardly, nearly tripping the long hem of her dress. Kimiko stood to help her to fluff the dress back into its original state as she continued, "Anyone could and will try to get it from you."

"Don't worry so much, dear. I'll be fine," Kimiko stated, tucking the shikon no tama into the pocket of her skirt. "I promise that it will be very safe with me."

"Kagome-chan? It's time!" Seiko's voice called through the door.

Kimiko beamed and leaned up to brush a kiss over her daughter's cheek. "Good luck, my Kagome."

"Thank you. And Mama... if you want to wish on the jewel... please do," Kagome said earnestly. She prayed that her mother would follow through with that advice as she walked over to the door and opened it to reveal an extremely excited Seiko, who was carrying the bouquet of red roses that Kagome would be holding when she went down the aisle. But even as she smiled, took her bouquet, and fell into step beside her sister so that they could walk down the stairs to her wedding, she couldn't help worrying that her mother wouldn't.

When she caught sight of the assembled crowd, however, all of those thoughts fled her mind. Way back when they had started planning the wedding, Kagome had requested that she and Inuyasha be married beneath the Goshinboku. It was where her father had proposed, where her parents had been married, and where she and Inuyasha had first met. Inuyasha had been dubious about getting married in the place where he had been trapped for centuries, but he'd quickly agreed when Kagome had explained her reasoning. Being wed at the shrine also meant that she had the opportunity to get dressed in her old room one last time. After the wedding, the reception would be taking place at a venue not too far away.

A warm hand dropped down onto her shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts. "Are you nervous?" Matsu asked quietly.

"Yes and no," Kagome said, smoothing her hands down the front of her gown. Inuyasha would be walking Kimiko down the aisle first. Matsu was Inuyasha's best man, which meant that he would be walking Seiko down the aisle second. Then Sesshoumaru and Rin, followed by Kouga and Ayame, Shippou as the ring bearer and Miho as the flower girl, and then finally, Kagome and Souta.

"You'll do fine," he said confidently. "Ah, look! There goes Inuyasha and your mother."

Kagome looked. She felt her throat tighten as she heard the music swell and watched Inuyasha and Kimiko emerging from the direction of the well house. Inuyasha looked amazing in his fire-rat robes. His silvery hair swayed gently in the wind and he appeared to be calm and composed to anyone who gave him a casual glance. But the way he was gripping Kimiko's arm told a different story. Kimiko, for her part, looked stunning in the pale pink suit that she had chosen to wear. It complimented her pale complexion and brought a rosy look to her cheeks. As she and Inuyasha reached the end of the aisle, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, and then whispered something to Inuyasha that made the hanyou's eyes widen before she stepped away and sat down.

"I believe that's our cue, my love. Good luck, Kagome-chan." Matsu kissed her on the cheek before he turned to Seiko and offered his arm. Seiko took a deep breath before moving to stand next to him. The two of them stepped out of the house at the same time and began walking slowly towards the aisle. Sesshoumaru and Rin, with Kouga and Ayame right behind them, followed about thirty seconds later. All three couples would have to get to the end of the aisle and arrange themselves before Miho or Shippou followed.

"Are you two ready?" Kagome asked, looking down at them. She straightened Shippou's adorable little bowtie and smiled in an effort to keep her eyes from misting over.

"Totally!" Miho said enthusiastically. She was wearing a smaller version of Seiko's gown, but in pale green. Her right hand clutched a small wicker basket filled with pink, white, and red rose petals.

"I think so," said Shippou. He seemed a little more nervous than Miho. Kagome patted his head and then kissed them both on the forehead before she sent them out the door. Shippou kept his eyes on the ground, but Miho hammed it up, beaming and basking in the praise like she was the one getting married. With every step, she took another handful of petals and tossed them on the ground, creating a generous trail for Kagome and Souta to walk up. At the end of the aisle, they separated, and all of the guests turned to peer backwards with expectant looks. Kagome swallowed hard and felt her stomach wrench, realizing that it was time.

"Nee-chan, you ready?" Souta asked, echoing her thoughts. She twisted to look at him and felt her eyes widen when she saw what he was wearing. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, white shirt, and red tie that would match Inuyasha's fire-rat robes and the embroidery on her gown. Kagome stared at him, shocked by how grown up he looked – and by how much he looked like their father. Dumbly, she nodded. Smiling patiently, Souta offered her his arm, allowing her to curl her hands around his elbow.

The first step out the door was the hardest. For a moment, all she could see were people that she didn't recognize, and the urge to run away swept over her. Souta was a warm and welcoming presence, though, keeping her grounded. By the time they actually reached the aisle, she could see Inuyasha, and the look on his face when he caught sight of her made it all worth it. He looked utterly gobsmacked. Kagome quelled the giggle that wanted to escape and heard Souta snort as they reached the end. Souta leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, then stepped aside, allowing Kagome to take her place beside her soon-to-be husband.

Their officiant was a rabbit youkai that was apparently one of Sesshoumaru's close friends. He smiled broadly at both of them before he began. "Good afternoon," he said, voice ringing with authority. "It thrills me to see that so many people have come to share in the joy of watching these two young adults join together for eternity. Marriage is a sacred institution that we should strive to honour, and knowing what these two have gone through, I can think of no one who deserves this eternal joy more." His green eyes sparkled as he gazed at Kagome. "Now, instead of the traditional vows, I'm told that Inuyasha and Kagome have written their own, so I am going to give them the opportunity to speak freely. Please proceed, Kagome."

"Thank you," Kagome said, hoping her voice sounded steady. She passed her bouquet to Seiko and turned towards Inuyasha. Hesitantly, she cleared her throat and tried to speak clearly. "Inuyasha, when we first met, I couldn't understand you. I didn't _want_ to understand you. It took me a long time to accept that I wanted to be with you. And even then, there were many times that I thought that we would never make it here." Briefly, she paused to swallow hard against the tears that were threatening to form. Bizarrely, she wished that Kikyou and Midoriko could have been there to see. "But you've always been there for me. Throughout the past few years, you have become my closest friend. My best friend. In you, I've found everything that I never knew I wanted. You are everything to me, and there's nothing I wouldn't do to make sure that you were happy. I want to be with you forever and beyond. I love you."

"Kagome..." Inuyasha's golden eyes gleamed with moisture for a moment, though he quickly blinked the tears away. He'd never been good with words, and it was easy to tell that he was nervous when he spoke. "I... I've made a lot of foolish decisions over the years. But the one thing I've always been sure about was you, even when it seemed like I wasn't. I promise you that I will do anything to keep you safe and happy, and that I will always be there to protect you and our family, no matter what." His voice dropped, but he was still audible when he said, "I love you."

Her jaw dropped. Literally. That time, she couldn't stop her eyes from welling up with tears. "Inuyasha..."

"Inuyasha," the officiant said, unable to keep the broad smile from his face. "Do you take Kagome to be your wife? To have and to hold her from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"Even death won't be able to take her from me," Inuyasha replied instantly. A few people in the audience tittered, and he blushed slightly as he added, "Yes."

The officiant was grinning. "Kagome, do you take Inuyasha to be your husband? To have and to hold him from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death - and maybe not even then - do you part?"

"I do," Kagome whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek even though she was beaming. Belatedly, she hoped that her make-up wouldn't smear.

"You may exchange rings," he told them.

Matsu picked up the two rings from Shippou's little pillow and passed them to Inuyasha. He slipped Kagome's onto her finger beside the engagement band he'd given her. The rings were fairly simple, just slender, plain gold bands with "I + K" and the date inscribed on the inside. Kagome chewed the inside of her cheek to keep from crying any more as she took the second ring from Inuyasha and slipped it onto his finger. Now that they both possessed physical proof that meant they were really and truly bonded, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She stopped caring about her make-up the instant Inuyasha looked over at her and smiled.

"Then by the power vested in me, I do hereby declare you to be husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Inuyasha stepped forward and Kagome sank into his arms willingly. Their lips met in a tender, sweet kiss as the audience exploded in a riot of cheering. Before the kiss could grow too passionate, Kagome pulled back and gazed up at her husband with shining eyes, knowing that the look of utter joy in Inuyasha's face was replicated in her own. They were_ finally _married, and later that night, they would become mates – and then nothing would ever tear them apart. She wondered how it was possible to be so happy as Inuyasha's arm settled possessively around her waist, and the two of them began walking back down the aisle.

**IKIKIKIK**

Hours later, Kagome settled back against her chair, feeling deliciously full, happy, and more than just a little tired. After spending a good two hours taking pictures in every imaginable position, their reception had begun with the kind of dinner that most people could only dream of. She'd lost count of the courses that had been brought out, and had only stopped eating when she was pretty sure that her wedding down was now technically a size too small. Beside her, Inuyasha finished the food on his plate... and then moved on to what she'd left on hers. Kagome rolled her eyes but smiled affectionately, knowing just how much food he had the ability to put away. It was a good thing he was rich, because if their kids had the kind of appetite that he did, she didn't think two normal 9-5 jobs would be able to support them all.

"Kagome-chan, are you two going to have your first dance?" Seiko asked. Like Kagome, she'd reached the point of being unable to continue a long time ago, and she'd been watching in bemused silence as the youkai and men around her continued pigging out. "A few people have been asking."

"Oh, umm..." Kagome trailed off uncertainly, wondering if Inuyasha would be comfortable with that. He'd never enjoyed doing things in public where others could see, and dancing had the potential to be a fairly intimate activity.

"Yes, we are," Inuyasha said from her other side, setting his fork down. Quickly, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and then carelessly tossed it down on the table, not bothering to see where it landed. Kagome looked up at him with surprise as he stood up and extended a hand to help her rise. She took it and allowed him to pull her up.

"Are you sure about this?" she whispered as they made their way around the head table and down onto the dance floor. "We don't have to do this if you're too uncomfortable, Inuyasha."

"I want to give you the full experience of a wedding, Kagome," he replied, determination in his eyes. His grip on her hand was firm but gentle as he led her to the middle of the dance floor. Gradually, their friends and family began turning to look at them, until every set of eyes were locked onto the two of them. Kagome flushed slightly but kept her eyes on Inuyasha, who looked equally nervous as the bright lights overhead dimmed. A single spotlight came on, illuminating the two of them and turning the audience essentially invisible, and she squirmed slightly. Someone - she guessed Rin or Ayame - went running up to the DJ's booth and a hastily whispered conversation later, the spotlight was gone, replaced by softened lights that created a warm, easy ambience, but which didn't make them feel quite so singled out. A little more relaxed, she stepped closer to Inuyasha and put her hands up on his shoulders. His hands came to rest on her hips as the music started.

Neither of them was really familiar with dancing, but Kagome didn't care. She felt warm, comfortable, and safe as the two of them swayed in a small circle. Inuyasha's face was creased with concentration at first, but eventually he caught her watching him, and he flashed her a smile. Kagome grinned in return and stepped closer so that she could lay her head on his chest. Now they were essentially just swaying back and forth, but she doubted that their audience really cared, judging by the amount of "aw, that's so cute!" she could hear coming from the direction of her friends. The state of total and complete bliss was absolutely wonderful - and yet, she couldn't let go. Something wasn't right.

What was it? Kagome frowned a little and switched directions, glancing back at the other side of the hall. She didn't know what or who she was looking for at first, but there was definitely something niggling at her. She frowned harder and closed her eyes, searching. Her first dance with Inuyasha was not really the time to be doing this kind of thing, but it was the first moment she'd had during the wedding and reception to just breathe, and now her senses were screaming at her, trying to make her understand.

Finally, just as the song was coming to an end, it dawned on her what it was. The shikon no tama had been a warm buzzing sensation in the back of her mind since the jewel had been completed; a stronger version of the sensation the shards used to produce. But now it was gone, or at the very least, so faint that she could hardly pinpoint it, which meant the jewel had been taken out of range. And - her eyes swept the crowd quickly, searching for her mother. Her heart sank. Kimiko was missing as well.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked quizzically, feeling the way his wife had tensed. He looked confused as Kagome backed out of his embrace, her eyes wide with an emotion he couldn't identify.

"Inuyasha, I have to go for a moment," she said.

"You have to _go_?" he echoed incredulously. "Kagome, this is our wedding reception. I thought it was very important to you."

"It is, but..." Kagome bit her lip, frustrated. How could she explain something she didn't entirely understand herself? She didn't want to concern Inuyasha with the news that the shikon no tama had been taken out of the building. It would cause unnecessary panic, since she was fairly confident that her mother was still in possession of it. Even taking into account the distance, the jewel rang with purity, indicating that no tainted heart had seized it. "I just... have to go. But I promise you, I will return."

He looked at her for a long time before shaking his head with a rueful smile. Leaning down, he kissed her quickly. "Go ahead. I'll distract the others so that no one tries to follow you."

"Thank you." Giving him one last loving smile, Kagome turned on her heel and ran out of the room, hoping that Inuyasha really would be able to hold down the fort without her around. It was relatively easy to get out of the building, and once she was outside, Kagome let her senses guide her. She gathered up the bottom of her gown and hurried down the sidewalk, heedless of the bemused stares that she was receiving from the people walking by. Her destination became clearer the closer she got: the Higurashi Shrine.

Climbing dozens of stairs in a wedding dress was no easy task, even for a hanyou. Kagome was panting for breath by the time she staggered to the top. The shrine was quiet, with only a few of the decorations from the wedding still lingering here and there, and at first glance no one seemed to be around. For a moment, she hesitated, wondering if she had left her own wedding reception for no good reason. Then her eyes focused on a small, slender shape slumped beneath the Goshinboku. Instantly, a chill ran down her spine, and she closed her eyes, not wanting to see what - or rather, who - was there. Now she understood why her senses had been so strong. Her conscious mind hadn't wanted to understand the implications of what was happening, and still didn't, but she knew that she had to face it. There was no running away this time.

In the soft moonlight, Higurashi Kimiko looked absolutely beautiful. She was lying back against the trunk of the Goshinboku, so that her body was cradled by the ancient tree. Every inch of her expensive suit had been carefully smoothed, so that there wasn't a wrinkle to be seen. Her lips had formed a small smile, and her eyes were closed in peace. One of her hands rested on her chest, just over where her heart would have been. The other was extended on her knee, palm up, so that the shikon no tama was exposed to the world. It glowed softly, absorbing the moon's gentle radiance. Only the fact that Kimiko was no longer breathing disrupted the tranquility of the scene.

Tears spilled freely down Kagome's cheeks as she knelt in front of her mother. Oh, she had known that this moment was coming, but she hadn't thought that it would come so quickly! She knew then that Kimiko really had been holding on purely for the sake of seeing Kagome married, and that likely, the woman had been unable to fight the illness any longer – or possibly, felt that she had nothing left to live for. With a hand that trembled, she reached out and gently touched her mother's cheek. Her skin was still warm, but Kagome could tell that it was cooling quickly. Kimiko had been there for some time, then, and she hadn't even noticed.

"Mama," she whispered, the tears coming faster. Kimiko would have waited if she'd been able to. She never would have wanted to mar the beauty of the day with her death. Kagome swallowed hard and wiped her cheeks, knowing that her mother would have wanted her to be happy on her wedding day, not weeping. The shikon no tama continued to glisten as she took it out of Kimiko's hand and stood up. When she turned around, she wasn't surprised to see Inuyasha standing behind her.

"Kagome," the hanyou said, his face shadowed with grief. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," Kagome said shakily. Suddenly, she was in Inuyasha's arms, and she was crying in spite of herself. "I-I knew it w-was coming but I t-thought she m-might h-hold on," she wept.

Inuyasha sighed and tightened his grip. "It was her time, Kagome. When I walked her down the aisle, she said... she asked me to look after you and Souta. I thought that this might happen, though I'll admit I wasn't expecting it tonight." His amber eyes flicked towards Kimiko's still form. "Kagome... if you wanted to... no one would begrudge you using the jewel."

Kagome closed her eyes. Hadn't that been exactly what she had begged Kimiko to do? And the woman had chosen to die instead. For a split second, she felt bitterness well up, borne from the knowledge that she and Souta were not enough to keep her mother going. Then it died a swift death as she sighed, realizing she had no right to be angry. Kimiko had made it clear that she was looking forward to being with her husband again, and for whatever reason, she had chosen death as their venue. It would be nothing short of cruel to wish the woman back to life now. Kimiko had made her choice, and like it or not, Kagome was going to abide by it.

"No," she said, pulling back a little. For the second time, she wiped her cheeks free of tears, undoubtedly smearing her make-up at the same time. She very carefully did not look at Kimiko's body as she took Inuyasha's arm. "Let's go back to the reception, Inuyasha."

"Kagome?" Inuyasha looked at her questioningly.

"Mama was looking forward to this day so much," she explained simply. "She didn't give the jewel back to me before she left because she was worried I would see how much she had declined and use it without her permission. She came here to die all alone so that she wouldn't ruin our party." Tears threatened to overwhelm her again, but she forced them back. "If that's what she wanted for us... There will be plenty of time for me to mourn her tomorrow. Tonight, we're going to celebrate the fact that we're finally going to be together forever."

His eyes softened, and he made no more comments as he wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her down the stairs. Leaving her mother's body there was quite possibly the hardest thing Kagome had ever done, but she knew she was doing the right thing. It was what her mother would have wanted. She even found the ability to smile, just a little, as she and Inuyasha made the journey back towards the reception. Somewhere up in heaven, her parents were back together again, just like Kimiko had always wanted. Kagome fingered the jewel, slipped it into her pocket, and leaned against Inuyasha.

"Ne, Inuyasha," she said softly.

"What?"

"I love you."

Inuyasha paused and turned to look down at her. His amber eyes were filled with love and affection as he said, "I love you, too, Kagome." And leaned down to take her lips in a kiss that she knew she would never forget.

The End!

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Please review! And don't forget to check back for the epilogue, which will be posted next week.


	30. Epilogue

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews. I really can't believe that this story has come to an end! Way back when I first posted it, it was more of an experiment than anything, just to see what kind of reception it would get. I'm really glad that I kept going with it because it turned out to be better than I expected it to. I'd also like to point out that it's pretty much the first story I've ever updated regularly, so look at that, y'all are putting me on the path to good habits! I hope you enjoy the conclusion!

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Even after five years, the Higurashi Shrine was still a peaceful and beautiful place. Taisho Kagome stood on the second to last step and surveyed her childhood home with something akin to pride in her gold-flecked brown eyes. The well house had been re-painted and repaired, the walkways had been completely torn out and laid anew, and their cheerful little house had been renovated over the years until it was nearly unrecognizable - yet, it still retained that simple sense of home that Higurashi Kimiko had tried so hard to provide. Even the Goshinboku, still as strong as she remembered and bigger than ever, seemed to wave at her in greeting as a wind stirred the branches.

Her right ear swiveled at a distant sound, and she glanced in the direction of the well house in time to see the door slide open. Higurashi Souta stepped out, holding a broom in his hands. He was much taller now, she saw, surpassing Kagome by a good four inches, and all of the awkwardness of youth was gone, replaced by broad shoulders and a lightly muscled body. Her presence went un-noticed as Souta turned back to the well house and held out a hand. Miho poked her head out of the well and said something to him that made Souta laugh as he helped her out onto the pathway. Suddenly, Miho's nose twitched, and her head snapped around to face Kagome.

"Kagome-oba-san!" she exclaimed.

"Nee-chan! You're back!" Souta dropped his broom and ran towards her. Kagome laughed as he scooped her up and spun her around. The motion made her dizzy, but it was worth it to have the chance to hug her little brother again after so long of being apart. "When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me that you were home? Where's Nii-san?"

"One question at a time," she scolded playfully, reaching out towards Miho when Souta finally set her back down. She hugged the younger girl gently before stepping back and smiling at both of them. "In order, we got back early last night. I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you. And Inuyasha had to go see Sesshoumaru, but I expect he'll be along in a few minutes. Those two still can't be in a room for more than a couple of hours before they start fighting." The affection in her voice made Souta grin as he slung an arm around her shoulders.

"How was Italy?" he asked eagerly. "And France? What was the United States like?"

"Beautiful, inspiring, and overwhelming, in that order," Kagome replied, brushing a few strands out of hair out of her face. "I'm glad to be home."

"Why don't you come in and have a drink with us?" Miho suggested. "You look tired, Oba-san."

"Sure. I'd like that. It's not like I have anywhere else to be," she kidded. After their wedding, Kagome had made the decision to not return to high school. She didn't fit in there, and it was pointless for her to try. However, that didn't mean she'd given up on her education; she'd gone on to do home-schooling, and she'd actually ended up graduating with the rest of her class. Inuyasha had put his foot down on any more school after that, and suggested that they travel the world, instead. He'd become fascinated with the idea that, in the modern century, people could travel far and wide fairly easily. Granted, it hadn't taken much convincing on Kagome's part to see the world, especially when Seiko and Matsu had agreed to come along. She didn't know what she wanted to do with her life, and there were still years left for her to figure it out.

Kagome was pleased to see that the inside of the house looked much the same as it had when her mother and grandfather were alive. She sat down at the western-style table and looked around appreciatively. "I love what you've done with the place, Souta. Mama and Jii-chan would have been impressed."

Souta blushed. "It hasn't been easy," he admitted shyly. "The money from Nii-san is more than enough, and the people he hired are fantastic, but… Sometimes I swear I could still see them here."

Kagome reached out and put her hand over his. "I admire you for staying here," she said quietly. "I'm not sure that I could have."

"Sure you could," Souta said, flashing her a weary smile. "You can do anything, Nee-chan."

"I concur," said Miho, placing a platter of cookies on the table. She added three tall glasses of fruit punch and sat down beside Souta. The way the two of them looked at each other was not missed by Kagome, who hid her grin with her glass of punch. "Do you think you'll be staying in Japan?"

"I don't know. Probably, for a while. I can't really fly right now."

"You can't? Why not?" Souta asked quizzically.

Miho stiffened and let out a low gasp, finally recognizing the subtle change in her aunt's scent. "You're not…"

"I am."

"Oh my god!" With a cry of joy, Miho leapt out of her seat and started dancing around the kitchen. "I can't believe it. _Yes_!"

"What?" Looking between the two of them, Souta furrowed his brow. "What's going on?"

"I'm pregnant," Kagome said simply.

His jaw dropped as a look of complete shock spread across his face. He stared at her in stunned silence for several seconds. "You are?" he said at last, sounding rather dazed.

"Yeah." She rested her free hand on her stomach with a small smile. "I'm a few months along, so I probably would've been okay to fly for a little while yet. But it was a fight just getting Inuyasha to agree to let me come back here on a plane now. There's no way he'll let me fly until the babies are born, and even then, it will probably be a while."

"Did you say_ babies_?" Souta blurted. Miho stopped dancing and turned.

"Did I forget to mention I'm pregnant with twins?" she asked innocently, laughing when Miho gave another strangled yelp and hugged her for a second time.

"I'm going to be an uncle?" Souta muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He'd known that it was coming sooner or later, but he still wasn't prepared for the idea of Kagome being pregnant. Yet now that he knew, he wondered how he could have possibly missed the signs. There was no discernible bump, but she had a glow to her eyes and a kind of quiet joy that hadn't been visible before.

"How did Inuyasha-oji-san react?" Miho asked, bouncing back into her place. "And Shippou?"

Kagome's eyes danced at the memory. Inuyasha had gone into a kind of shock that took him a good fifteen minutes to snap out of. He'd remained in a state of disbelief for several hours afterwards, like he kept expecting Kagome to turn to him and say that she was just joking after all. Shippou had been absolutely thrilled at the idea that he was getting younger siblings. There was certainly no worry about sibling rivalry there! Both of them had become even more overprotective of her than before. It was enormously frustrating and yet incredibly endearing all at the same time.

"He's very happy," she said at last. "They both are. Everyone was. It means that Onee-chan and I will be having children within a few months of each other. I'm happy about that." She shrugged. "And honestly, you can only travel so much before you start getting tired of it."

"Is that so?" A new voice inserted. Inuyasha was standing in the doorway, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'll remember that the next time you decide you need to go to Italy to shop."

"That's totally different," Kagome said with a grin, rising to her feet. She walked over to him and deposited a kiss on his cheek. "Done with Sesshoumaru already?"

"Bastard will never change," Inuyasha muttered.

She giggled fondly, thinking that Sesshoumaru wasn't the only one who would never change. "I just told Souta and Miho-chan our news," she said.

Inuyasha's amber eyes softened and he rested a possessive hand on her stomach. Part of him was nervous when it came to having pups around. He'd never had much in the way of paternal care himself, so it wasn't like he had a role model to look up to. By the time Shippou had joined their family, the cub had already been a couple hundred years old, and really, was quite capable of taking care of himself no matter how much he tried to convince Kagome otherwise. So it was nerve-wracking, but there was another, stronger part of him that was just excited about the new additions to their pack.

"I just came to see if you were ready," he said.

Her fingers twitched automatically towards her pocket. "I am," she answered quietly. "Souta, Miho-chan, why don't you guys show Inuyasha around the shrine? I bet he'd love to see the improvements that you've made."

Souta gave her a curious look, but stood up, clearly recognizing that she wanted to be alone for a little while. "Sure. C'mon, Nii-san."

Once she was sure that the three of them were gone, Kagome turned and made her way back outside. A cool summer breeze was blowing, causing the white sundress she was wearing to flutter around her legs as she walked over to Goshinboku. She looked up at the great tree, remembering all of the things that had happened beneath its watchful eye. Inuyasha's sealing. Their first meeting. Her parents' proposal and wedding - and then the wedding of her and Inuyasha. Kimiko's death, and two years ago, her grandfather's death as well. Her smile tightened slightly and she sighed. The Goshinboku had seen it all… and now it would see the end.

From her pocket, she drew forth the shining pink jewel. In five long years, she hadn't made a wish on the shikon no tama. At her request, the others had spread rumors saying that the jewel had disappeared when Naraku did, which eliminated most of the youkai or humans who may have otherwise tried to pursue it. Those that did come looking for a fight quickly received one. It wasn't that she didn't think they could continue taking care of it, but as long as the shikon no tama existed, she lived in fear of the day that another Naraku would be spawned. It was time to lay the shikon no tama to rest.

With a deep breath, Kagome held the shikon no tama to her chest and threw all of her miko senses free. She had become significantly more powerful over the years, no doubt due in part to the fact that she had absorbed what Kikyou and Midoriko had to give on that day. Their combined power had taken her power in directions that she had never known existed. Her body tingled with feedback as the shrine became blanketed in a sea of warmth, and on the other side of the house, Inuyasha, Souta, and Miho all stopped what they were doing at the feel of the gentle touch.

"Midoriko-sama, Kikyou, I'm here," Kagome whispered. Her eyes were shut, so she didn't actually see them arrive… but she_ felt_ it. The world changed ever so slightly, like a shiver running through the air, and when she looked up, there they were. Both of them looked exactly like they had five years ago - though to be fair, so did Kagome.

"Hello, Kagome," Kikyou said with a regal nod.

"We were wondering when you would come home," Midoriko added with a fond smile.

"I'm sorry for taking so long. I didn't know what I needed to do back then," Kagome explained, smiling at them. For all of the heartbreak and pain that the two mikos had caused her, she felt relieved to see them again, like she was greeting long-lost sisters. "And I'm not sure my power was strong enough to bring you both to me at the same time. I wanted you here."

"Have you decided what your wish will be?" asked Midoriko.

"I've thought about it a lot," she admitted. "I had a hard time thinking of something to wish for. Everything I could want seems so trivial to what I already have, and I'm worried about what the ramifications could be when it comes to wishing on the jewel."

Midoriko was watching her closely. "Sometimes to get something, you have to sacrifice something of equal worth," she agreed.

Kagome nodded. "That's exactly what frightens me. So… I think…" She looked down at the jewel and then held her hand out in front of her, with the shikon no tama resting on her palm. Kikyou reached out and put her hand over top of the jewel, and then Midoriko placed her hand under Kagome's. Their support made her feel warm both inside and outside. "On three, okay? One… two…"

Three voices rang out in perfect unison.

"We wish for the shikon no tama to lose all of its power, and for us and the whole world to be free from it forever."

There was no bright, shining light. Actually, there was barely any reaction at all. One moment the jewel was there, and then next, it flickered and slipped from between their fingers. By the time it struck the ground, the fabled shikon no tama was nothing more than a clear, round little ball with the slightest hint of pink to the surface. Midoriko reached down and picked it up. Her fingers closed around it as a glowing smile spread across her face, and she raised her eyes to Kagome with gratitude shining in her gaze.

"Thank you, Kagome," she said softly. "I've been waiting for this moment for centuries. I'm free of the shikon no tama. No more eternal battling; I can finally rest. Thank you. For your help, I will give you all that I have left." The jewel gleamed brightly as she pressed the last of her restored power inside. "Take care of yourself and your family. Good-bye."

"Good-bye," Kagome called out. The jewel hit the ground for a second time as Midoriko vanished. Kikyou looked down at it and then knelt and picked the ball up.

"It's nothing more than glass, now," she remarked. "Excluding the trace of Midoriko's power, that is. Will you keep it with you?"

She looked at it thoughtfully, weighing her options. Kagome had hated the shikon no tama for so long that part of her wanted to just throw it away. But perhaps now it could be more than just a cursed object; it could be a symbol of the two greatest mikos to have ever walked the Earth. "I suppose. It holds no danger now. No one could use it now except for a miko, and anyone who tries to taint miko power is fighting a lost cause. I suspect that it would probably destroy any youkai that was foolish enough to try."

Kikyou glanced at her. "You should be proud of yourself."

"Eh?" Kagome blinked, startled at the sudden change in subject, and wondered whether that was meant to be a compliment or some kind of backhanded insult.

"I meant it in a good way," said Kikyou, rolling her eyes. "You've succeeded where I failed." There was a hint of bitterness to her voice, and the way she dropped her gaze to Kagome's midsection suggested that she wasn't just talking about the shikon no tama. Kagome flushed and unconsciously placed a hand on her stomach.

"Kikyou, I…"

"Save it," the woman replied. "I didn't come here to make you feel badly about your life with Inuyasha. I won't lie and say that I don't dream about what might have been, but…" She sighed. "In retrospect, I think that you are much better for Inuyasha than I ever was. As much as it hurts to admit that, I can be honest."

What could she say to that? Kagome licked her lips, yearning to offer _some_ form of comfort to Kikyou, but unsure of how to go about doing that. Her lost expression made Kikyou roll her eyes for a second time, but there was a little bit of a fond smile lingering around her lips as she closed her fingers around the jewel. A pale blue light shone around her hand, and Kagome gasped as she felt a strange wrenching in her chest. She opened eyes that she didn't even realize that she had closed and found herself staring at the jewel, which was now tinted a pale shade of violet, and looked nothing like the shikon no tama at all.

"What...?" she said blankly, unconsciously rubbing her chest. The ache had come from deep inside, at a place where she couldn't reach, but the feeling was fading fast. "Kikyou, what did you_ do_?"

"Now you have the rest of my power," Kikyou replied, her smile morphing into a smirk as she grabbed Kagome's hand and forced the jewel into it. "I wasn't lying when I said that you already had most of it... I had to borrow a bit of it back to put everything inside of the jewel. But it's tied to you, now, and no one will be able to use it against you, not even another miko. Think of it as an additional source of power to protect your family." Her voice was filled with an affection that Kagome didn't even know Kikyou could feel, much less express.

"You... But Kikyou... I... You're... You're leaving?" Even though she'd been expecting it, particularly after Midoriko's departure, Kagome couldn't help feeling lost. She could feel the power humming inside of the jewel, and although it would meld easily with her own power, it was different from anything she had sensed before. It sang to her in a way that was ultimately comforting.

"I'm not even supposed to be here, remember?" said the older girl. Her form was growing faint, though she was disappearing more slowly than Midoriko. "I died a long time ago, Kagome. If it hadn't been for Urasue and her games, I would still be at peace." She smiled ever so slightly, her dark brown eyes glittering. "Though I cursed that witch every day of my existence, I now find myself grateful for her interference. Without her, I never would've have had the chance to meet you. Take care of Inuyasha for me, won't you?"

"I will," Kagome promised, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She'd been at odds with the jealous-and-bitter clay Kikyou for a long time, and she was glad that she'd gotten the opportunity to see the _real_ Kikyou – the woman that Inuyasha had loved and lost. "Good-bye, Kikyou."

"Good-bye, Kagome."

Just like that, she was gone, and Kagome was alone, with only a violet marble in her hands to ever prove that the two of them had been there. She lifted a hand to her cheek and brushed away the tears, then looked down at the jewel with a fond expression. Thanks to that small but precious gift, she would always have a part of Kikyou and Midoriko with her; their legend would never die as long as Kagome was alive. Slowly, she found herself smiling as she began drawing her power back into herself. As hard as it had been to say good-bye to the two mikos, she knew that she had given them what they had wanted the most: the ability to rest in peace.

"Kagome!" Having felt the gradual disappearance of his mate's power, Inuyasha felt safe in rounding the far end of the shrine and walking towards her. He knew better than to interfere when Kagome was working with serious miko power - she had nearly purified him once by accident, and the scare had kept her from so much as touching him for weeks, much to his annoyance - but he couldn't hold back any longer. Kagome turned to look at him with a quizzical expression as he hurried over to her, holding out his cell phone.

"What's wrong?" she asked curiously.

"It's time," Inuyasha told her, unable to hide his excitement. "Matsu just texted me."

Her breath caught as golden eyes widened. "It's... it's time? Now? Oh my god!" Kagome slipped the jewel into her pocket and grabbed the phone. Sure enough, the text from Matsu was brief and to the point: Seiko had gone into labour. She looked up with a glowing smile. "I can't believe it. Inuyasha, we have to get to the hospital!"

"What's going on?" Souta called out. He and Miho had followed behind Inuyasha more slowly. Kagome spun around and beamed at them.

"Onee-chan's in the hospital," she squealed. "It's time."

"O-Oh. Really?" Souta's eyes grew large, and he couldn't quite hide the grimace. He knew a lot about Seiko and Matsu from Kagome's repeated tales, and on the few occasions that he'd met them, he'd grown to like them. But the thought of Seiko - or of anyone - having a baby was nothing short of terrifying. Miho glanced at him and choked back a laugh, clearly picking up on what was going through his mind.

"You two go on ahead. Call us when Seiko-san has the baby, okay, Oba-san?" she said.

"We will. Come on, Inuyasha, I don't want to miss a thing!" Kagome grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the stairs. Inuyasha rolled his eyes but followed her willingly, falling into step beside her. Once they were far enough down the steps that Miho's excellent hearing wouldn't pick up on their conversation, he stopped Kagome with a touch to her shoulder.

"Kagome, what happened with the shikon no tama?" he asked quietly, unable to keep the question inside any longer. Thoughts of the shikon no tama had often plagued him during their travels. He'd always been a little bit on guard even during their most relaxing times, always watchful for someone that might be a little too interested in his mate and the treasure she guarded. Even though rumours of the shikon no tama's disappearance had spread far and wide, there were some youkai and humans who were too desperate to believe them. Many times during the past five years, Inuyasha had urged her to make a wish and make the shikon no tama disappear for real, but Kagome had always refused with the promise to end it when she returned to the Goshinboku. That promise had carried him through more than one battle, and he could only hope that she had been able to follow through with it.

She stilled and twisted to look back at him. "It's gone, Inuyasha," she answered softly, one hand stealing into her pocket. Gently, she stroked the jewel and felt a burst of affection when a soothing pulse of warmth traveled up her arm. It was tempting to keep the jewel all to herself – after all, it had been meant solely for her – but there hadn't been any secrets between her and her mate for over five years, and she intended to keep it that way. Kagome pulled the jewel out, took his hand, and dropped it inside. Inuyasha frowned, puzzled at first, and then recoiled when he felt the buzzing warmth the jewel emitted.

"What?" he blurted, amazed and a little frightened. "Kagome... what is this?"

"It's what's left of the shikon no tama," Kagome said honestly, allowing him to drop the jewel back into her cupped hands. "Once it was purified... Midoriko-sama put her power inside. Kikyou did the same. It's little more than a collection of miko power now. No one else can use it except for me."

He regarded the small marble with suspicion. "You're sure that there's nothing of the shikon no tama left inside of it?"

It was a valid question. Kagome tilted her head. "Let's see. I wish that I had an ice cream."

Inuyasha tensed instinctively, his eyes darting around the stairs. But nothing happened, and Kagome's fingers parted to reveal that she was still holding the violet marble, which looked completely unchanged by her wish. The power inside hadn't even risen to the surface. Slowly, he relaxed, breathing a soft sigh of relief, though he continued to eye the little marble with a healthy amount of distrust. He wasn't sure that he liked the thought of Kagome carrying around something that had once been the shikon no tama, but he recognized the stubborn glint in her eyes. It had been a gift from Midoriko and Kikyou, two people that Kagome had grown to idolize, and nothing was going to make her let go.

"Just be careful with it?" he asked.

Her face softened, and she squeezed his arm as she slipped the jewel back into her pocket. "I will, I promise. If I ever sense anything the least bit dangerous from it, I'll get rid of it straight away."

Knowing that was the best he'd get, Inuyasha nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist as the two of them continued the rest of the way down the steps. Their car was still waiting at the road for them, and it was a short journey to the hospital. Kagome barreled straight up to the fourth floor, where she knew her sister would be, and once she was there it wasn't at all hard to find Seiko. All she had to do was follow the sounds of yelling, cursing, and a particularly interesting description of what would happen to Matsu if he ever touched her again. Biting back a smile, Kagome pushed the door open and walked in, leaving Inuyasha lingering in the doorway until he was certain it was safe. He wasn't afraid (exactly) but Seiko possessed an excellent arm and had the strength to throw hard enough to hurt even a hanyou's thick head.

"Onee-chan!" she called out. Both Seiko and Matsu turned to look at her. Kagome had to bite back laughter at the sight of the abject relief on Matsu's face. There was also a bruise on his right cheek, no doubt courtesy of a particularly painful contraction. "We came as soon as we could. How are you doing?"

"Alright, I think," Seiko said, releasing her painfully tight hold on Matsu's hand. "We haven't been here long, but the doctor said it probably won't take much longer anyway. Apparently, I'm progressing fast." She made a face and shifted with discomfort. "Not fast enough if you ask me."

She made no comment, but surveyed the room silently, taking in the weariness in Seiko's face. "Inuyasha, why don't you and Onii-chan go get something to drink?" she suggested at last. Matsu had expressed a desire to remain in the delivery room during the birth, but quite frankly, her brother looked like he was about to pass out on the floor. He'd never been good at dealing with Seiko when she was in pain, and she suspected that his patience levels were probably running on empty.

"Sure. Come on, Houshi." Inuyasha beckoned to Matsu. Without protest, Matsu kissed Seiko on the cheek and quickly disappeared out the door, leaving the girls alone. Kagome moved over and sat down beside Seiko in the vacated chair.

"How has he been?" she asked once she was certain the two were gone.

"Miserable," Seiko replied, rubbing a hand over her face. "He's been hovering worse than Inuyasha these past few weeks. I know he's just doing it because he cares, but… I was_ so_ glad when you said you were coming home, Kagome-chan. I wish we could have gone to Italy with you."

"Me too," Kagome said, patting her sister's hand with sympathy. Seiko had been looking forward to visiting Italy for a while, and she'd felt almost guilty visiting the magical city without her. "It sucks that you can't fly during your last trimester, but I doubt you would have enjoyed yourself anyway. But we'll go back someday. Maybe we can take the kids with us."

"I'd like that." Leaning her back against the pillows, Seiko sighed and then grimaced with pain, her hands flying to her stomach. "Oh god. I think another one is coming."

Kagome held tight to Seiko's hand as the older woman gasped, moaned, and panted her way through the contraction, all while trying not to wince. Because she was a hanyou and her children would be as well, her own pregnancy would not last as long as a human's would. She was four months pregnant and in another three, she would be ready to deliver. Time was going by much faster than she would have liked; she was_ not_ looking forward to the actual process, and Seiko's pain was only making her that much more nervous, though she made a fervent effort to hide it as Seiko's body finally went slack against the bed.

"Fucking… hell…" Seiko hissed as the door was pushed open. A young kitsune entered the room, wearing a cheerful smile and carrying a clipboard.

"It's time to check you again," she announced. "How are you doing, Seiko-sama?"

"I've been better," came the low reply.

The doctor just chuckled and stepped up to the end of the bed. Kagome looked away politely as she lifted the sheet and felt around. "I think it's just about time."

"Really?" they said together.

The kitsune smiled broadly. "Yes, really. Congratulations, Seiko-sama. You're about to be a mom."

**IKIKIKIK**

A couple of hours later, Kagome walked down to the waiting room, where Inuyasha was sitting on the couch staring off into space and looking like he was having a difficult time with staying awake. For a moment, she hung in the doorway, silently observing him before he took notice of her presence. Her mate hadn't changed physically in the past five years - on a hanyou life scale, five years was akin to about five days - but mentally, he had grown up even more, and she enjoyed the rare, fleeting moments when she caught sight of the childish, stubborn hanyou that a headstrong, foolish young girl had once fallen in love with.

"Inuyasha?" she said softly. He blinked, and his head snapped around to face her. Kagome crossed the room and sat down on his lap. Before he could ask, she told him, "Everything's fine. The birth went perfectly. Onee-chan and Onii-chan have a beautiful baby boy. He's amazing." Her throat closed up unexpectedly and she swallowed hard.

"Kagome?" His sensitive ears had detected the hitch in her voice.

"I'm okay. It's just…" She trailed off, uncertain of how to put it into words. Knowing all of the pain and misery Seiko and Matsu had suffered, and not just during the birth, the sight of the exquisite joy in their faces as they held their newborn son was almost more than she could bear. Kagome had gotten a brief glimpse of the child before she left the room to give them some privacy, and knowing that the baby would never have to deal with the curse of the Kazaana had been overwhelming. Matsu's face had been streaked with tears when he leaned down and kissed his son for the first time, and she knew that he had been thinking the same thing.

"Just?" Inuyasha prompted, and she jumped, realizing that she'd drifted off into her own thoughts.

"Just… Amazing, that's all," she answered at last. "I can remember traveling and thinking that we were never going to get here. Sometimes I was so sure that we would die during the battle that I never dared to dream about having a life with you."

Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't think about that bastard anymore. He's dead and gone."

"I know." She still woke up every morning and thanked god for that fact before she did anything else. It would have been horrible to have brought children into the world and known that their existence could be threatened by Naraku. Kagome sighed and started to lean against her mate, but stiffened suddenly, a low gasp spilling from her lips.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" Worried, Inuyasha pulled back to look at her.

"They kicked," Kagome said breathlessly. Grabbing his hand, she yanked it against her stomach. Inuyasha went to speak and stopped, his jaw dropping at the gentle fluttering beneath his fingers.

"You… They…" he sputtered.

Kagome laughed and kissed him. "They're _moving_," she said with a brilliant smile, beaming at him.

"Onee-sama?" Rin poked her head into the room. "The nurse said you guys were here. We're going to go visit Seiko-chan now that her parents have seen the baby. Do you - what's wrong?" She asked, startled by the sight of Kagome grinning like a loon and Inuyasha looking perplexed.

"Rin-chan, they're kicking!" Kagome squealed.

Rin was across the room like a shot. Laying gentle hands on Kagome's abdomen, she gasped and giggled at the sensation. As though the pups had registered the additional attention, the skin under her fingertips was fluttering like mad. "They sure are. It won't be much longer now."

Somehow, that wasn't quite as frightening a thought as it had been before. Kagome smiled to herself and stood up, hauling her dazed mate along with her. The two of them tagged along behind Rin as she led the way towards Seiko's room, which had a lot more occupants than when Kagome had left. Seiko's parents, Yukio, Sesshoumaru, Rin and their newest pup, Souta, Miho, Ayame and Kouga were all standing in the room. Miho winked in Kagome's direction as she and Inuyasha entered, and Kagome shot her a smile in response, wondering how the girl had gotten Souta away from the shrine.

"He's lovely, Seiko-chan," Ayame was saying, smoothing back the baby's soft, downy hair. "Do you have a name for him yet?"

Seiko nodded and exchanged a smile with Matsu. "I think we're going to name him Mamoru," she said. "In the hopes that he'll grow up to be every bit the strong protector that his Uncle Inuyasha is."

Inuyasha choked and didn't say anything for a moment, seemingly overwhelmed. Finally, he stepped forward and looked down at the little bundle, examining the flushed skin and clenched fists. Dark eyes opened and peered up at him. Slowly, he reached down and ran a single claw down the baby's face. "If he's anything like his parents, he'll do fine."

Matsu smiled and laid an arm around Seiko's shoulders, every inch the proud papa. Kagome stepped closer, leaning against his other side, and watched as Seiko coached Inuyasha on holding a human baby for the first time in his life. She couldn't quite hold back her smile in spite of her best efforts as the clearly terrified hanyou gingerly took the child and cradled him. There had been a time - many times, actually - when she had been certain that they weren't live to see the end of Naraku. But they had, and with every day that went by, their future was looking brighter than ever.

* * *

The end. Please review!


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